


Rocking With What Matters

by Yosakazure



Series: Dancing to Our Heart Song [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Honeymoon, M/M, Married Life, Parenthood, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:14:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 49,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yosakazure/pseuds/Yosakazure
Summary: Part three of the "Heart Song" series! Sora and Riku continue their adventures as well as dive into parenthood!
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Dancing to Our Heart Song [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859878
Comments: 42
Kudos: 26





	1. So what happens now?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for joining me in Part 3 of the "Heart Song" series. I'm so excited to be sharing this with you as I have been brainstorming it ever since I decided to write the boys getting married. Due to the nature of this story, there will be a few time jumps here and there but I'll try and keep it as consistent as possible. I hope you enjoy and again, thank you so much for all your love and support throughout this series. <3

Sora sat next to Chirithy in the Land of Departure atop a stone wall while they watched Ven and Vani play with the orphans that Aqua and Terra have taken in. Vani was teaching them the ways of the tackle and they were having a fun time bringing Ven to the ground over and over again while the raven-haired man cackled with approval.

Sora watched with a faraway look on his face. "Chirithy..."

The little creature looked up at the pensive man. "What's up?"

"What will really happen to me when it's time for me to reach the Final World?" he asked. "Or rather...what will happen to Darkness?"

It was a morbid question to be sure, but one that Chirithy knew would come one day. After all, Sora was supposed to fade away the last time they saw each other in the Final World. It's only natural that he'd have questions now that he's shouldered the burden of being a prison for Darkness as well. "It's likely Darkness might die with you...or the seal will get broken. Who knows? It might be the natural order of things for Darkness to only be sealed temporarily. After all, a balance of Light and Dark is needed."

While Sora knows that's true, he can't help but think there has to be another solution. Maybe a treaty or a compromise? Something that ensures balance is kept without anybody getting hurt. But even as badly as he wants it, he can't imagine it happening, either. What would that even look like? A future where light and dark coincide in the open? Vanitas and Ventus had said Darkness, herego heartless, seek hearts and yet they don't understand them. Vanitas is born from darkness and yet has his own heart...or is it really half of Ven's? Sora was able to give a piece of his heart away to somebody who needed it. Roxas and Xion were able to grow their own hearts and identities after "borrowing" Sora's for a while. Riku has found a way to tame darkness and wield it as his own. So maybe there IS a way for light and dark to coexist...maybe LOVE is the bridge?

The gears turned rapidly in his head the harder he thought about it. Kingdom Hearts...could be made of hearts...hearts can be filled with so many things, the strongest of which he was certain was love. And if love is the ultimate power like many say...maybe...just maybe...

What if Kingdom Hearts wasn't meant to be used to eliminate darkness, but bridge the two instead and enforce TRUE balance? Could light co-exist with darkness and create bonds that enable hearts to grow even within the darkest depths? Eliminating the need or drive for darkness to hunt down light to claim hearts for themselves that they don't understand anyway? What if eventually the two sides were no longer separate and the worlds could all finally reunite? Is it possible?

"Hmm..." he hummed thoughtfully. "Thanks, Chirithy. I'll see you guys around." He gave one last wave to everybody before summoning his keyblade vehicle to head to the Symphony of Sorcery next.

At Master Yen Sid's tower, he sat down with the wise wizard and ran his thoughts by him, in desperate need of advice and asked that this conversation be kept between just the two of them.

"You need to be careful with this line of thinking, Master Sora," the wizard warned as he poured Sora a cup of tea. "It's possible Master Xehanort himself may have been led down this same sort of path."

"You're probably right," Sora agreed thoughtfully. But he wasn't about to give up yet. After all, Master Xehanort wanted to destroy the worlds and make a new one, "pure and bright" as he put it, and be the one to lead. But...that's not what _he_ wants. There must be a way to bring about peace without destroying what they already have.

Next he spoke to Ansem the Wise, the old scientist pleasantly surprised that Sora asked to speak with him. Again, Sora asked that this conversation be kept between them.

"You've done so much research on this topic already," Sora said. "So I thought I should ask for your opinion on the matter before I pursue it any further."

Master Ansem offered Sora a macaroon from a large pink box of confectionaries from Ven's bakery, a bakery set up to help fund the school in the Land of Departure. Sora took one gratefully to go with their tea, a beverage he was slowly learning to appreciate, emphasis on slowly. As he munched on a sea salt caramel macaron, Ansem studied the young man's face with a warm smile. The young master before him has grown so much in so little time. Even at the age of twenty-three, the fun-loving man has matured and wizened so much in the past couple of years. But he supposed it was to be expected, after everything he's gone through. With a heavy heart, he sipped from his own tea. "I'll help in any way I can," he offered cautiously. After all, he recognized the curiosity in Sora's eyes as the same curiosity he's seen in so many of his pupils in years past and it hasn't always led them down the brightest of paths.

Sora ran his thoughts past the wise man. What are the odds of beings of darkness growing their own hearts? Is it a sustainable ideal? Would darkness even want that or would it just be a few exceptions?

Ansem took in his questions thoughtfully. "Hearts are capable of many things and can be grown in the darkest of places and the most unlikely, such as the datascape, for example. But whether or not beings of darkness desire actual ownership of hearts for themselves that's a question that should probably be asked directly."

"So...I should ask Darkness, you think." Sora's brow furrowed as he stared down into his tea. "We've spoken before but it's not exactly...I'm not sure how safe it is." He bit his lower lip in frustration before looking back up to Ansem. "But SOMETHING has to be done. I don't feel right about putting future generations at risk for the same conflict we just went through. How can I even bring future children into the world and revive all those kids in the datascape knowing that they will all be at risk when I die?"

Ansem sighed. Of course the young keyblade master would feel guilty, even for something beyond his control. He's gone above and beyond and still he wants to do more. He wished he knew the answer.

"I'm not saying the solution will happen overnight, but it's something we have to start building towards NOW before it's too late. After all, I still don't know what will happen to the χ-blade, either. No Name was passed on for generations, even in hung up in Scala ad Caelum while Luxu watched over it." They knew this much about it after gathering more information over the past couple of years from multiple sources. "But can that be done for the χ-blade? It sounds too risky and definitely too much of a burden. But if it's destroyed when I die, will the pieces be separate again? Will there just be somebody to start a new war to gather them once more?"

Ansem put up a hand to calm the young man's spiraling train of thought and offered him another sweet, the brunette giving a small sheepish smile before he accepted another one. "Master Sora...just because you possess the χ-blade doesn't mean you HAVE to make a decision. You could very well just let things be, let them happen as they come. You've done so much for the worlds already. It isn't fair to expect yourself to come up with the perfect solution to everything."

Sora shook his head. "No. I think the worst thing I could possibly do is be indecisive about this. Something HAS to be done."

The master relaxed his shoulders with a quiet sigh, his own brow furrowing as he allowed himself to truly contribute to this discussion. "If you merely pass the χ-blade down, temptation will always be a risk. There's still a chance for conflict over ownership," he agreed. "And like you said, if you were to pass, would it break apart on its own if you don't pass it down? I'm afraid all these things are likely scenarios, including another keyblade war. But we can't just keep eliminating new ambitious individuals over and over."

"Right. It'd be a never-ending cycle," Sora nodded solemnly. Something just has to be done for the future. "What will it take to drive change, do you think?"

"Somebody for sure needs to guide the way," the old man answered simply.

"Yes, somebody to guide the way, to SUPPORT change, not force it. To serve, not dictate." Sora looked up with a smile. "Xehanort didn't _believe_ people could change, so he wanted to start everything anew, to destroy and start fresh, and lead after to ensure his ideal. But I believe change can be done NOW. I believe in people and their hearts and I believe they can be shared. Yes, even with darkness."

Ansem's eyes widened slightly, stunned by the sudden determination sparkling in Sora's eyes. When his face lights up like that, it really feels as if the young master can do anything he says.

"Only with cooperation can there truly be balance," Sora continued. "Maybe in a way, everybody can be like me: give a piece of themselves to help a creature of darkness get their own heart?" He laughed, realizing how silly that might sound. "Maybe not as literally, but dedicate themselves to trying to CONNECT with something different from them. In a way, you do give a piece of yourself when you go out of your way to really connect with another person, and you get something back, too." He deflated just a smidge as he took another sip of tea, letting the warm liquid calm the quickening pace of his heart. "There will always be bad eggs here and there, I'm sure. But with the right guidance, I think we can re-unite the worlds again for a better future for ALL. At least that's what I hope for with all my heart."

Master Ansem smiles confidently. "If anybody can do it Sora, I believe _you_ can."

Sora shyly smiles back. "I know it won't be perfect and I know I'll make mistakes, but I know with my friends backing me up and supporting me along the way, the only way I can fail is if I don't try at all. I have to believe there is a reason I ended up where I am now. I feel like I've been given a huge chance to make everybody happy and I don't want to screw it up. But...I won't do it if nobody's on board. This isn't just my decision to make, after all. This affects everybody and all those who haven't even been born yet."


	2. Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumping back a little to where we left off! The boys are on their honeymoon!

Sora and Riku were determined to have a blast on their honeymoon. Before they left, they found invitations to all sorts of different worlds from their friends amongst their wedding gifts and although they wanted to accept every single one, even with a three week honeymoon there just wasn't enough time!

They barely made the lantern festival in Corona where they of course danced in the town square before making a wish on their own celebratory lantern that they released into the sky with the others. After that, they visited Ariel and were given a lovely horseback tour of Prince Eric's kingdom. Then they visited San Fransokyo and enjoyed their first ever Pride Parade. Then it was back to Thebes where they caught up with Hercules and the others and had a grand time chariot racing (Riku won). In Neverland they met mermaids in Mermaid Lagoon. They sailed the high seas of the Caribbean, this time finding treasure all by themselves, but of course the real treasure was making love in a hidden cave behind a waterfall surrounded by gold and jewels (after a quick selfie <#3FoundTheBooty).

Then they visited other worlds that they've seen on their own separate missions but have yet to explore together, such as Paris where Sora stuffed himself silly and was in a food coma for a whole day afterwards. Sora even took Riku to Toy Box, which was back together as one world again. However, that meant it was repopulated with people again, so the two had to explore carefully as toys, which was nerve-wracking for Riku at first. But once they got to the toy store and waited around until after hours, Riku had to admit it WAS a lot of fun being a toy and playing around with everything.

They had been lucky enough to not run into any heartless or any other dangers during their honeymoon until they came face to face with a heartless armada while taking a shortcut to Arendelle. Their ship took a nasty hit and threw them off-course into a warp tunnel that neither of them recognized and somehow found themselves hovering near a very peaceful-looking world with a tall white castle that seemed as good a place to land as any to make repairs, not that they had much of a choice because they were falling fast!

With Sora at the controls, they made a skid landing OUTSIDE of the lush green forest and glen that Sora was originally aiming for and instead found themselves just outside a dilapidated castle surrounded by thorns. It was a stark contrast to the gleaming castle they saw before they landed. Even the sky was dark and ominous on this side of the forest. Though it was creepy to be sure, it seemed abandoned so Sora and Riku chanced getting out of the ship to assess the damage.

"I have a bad feeling about this place," Riku muttered as he looked around, keeping an eye out while Sora checked on the gummi ship. "There's...something familiar about it. It even smells familiar."

"Well hopefully we won't be here too long," Sora grumbled as he assessed the damage. "The power block is fried and the left rear panel is in pieces! I think there are some spares in the cargo bay. You okay by yourself for a second?"

"Sure, just don't be too long," Riku nodded.

The brunette chuckled and gave a thumbs up before prying open the dented door on the cargo hatch and crawling inside. There were quite a few gummi blocks stored here from the loot they collected during other gummi ship battles. Hopefully they have the ones they need otherwise they're going to have to abandon the gummi ship and fly back on their keyblade vehicles to either Radiant Garden or Disney Castle to get replacements. "There's gotta be a spare in here somewhere," Sora mumbled out loud to himself as he dug through the piles of blocks.

Riku kept walking circles around the ship as he kept a look out. It was way too quiet. Not even the twittering of birds could be heard from the nearby wood. Then again, they did just crash land. Maybe they scared everything off.

"Found them!" Sora proclaimed proudly as he climbed out of the cargo bay with the needed blocks cradled in his arms. "Wanna help me get the damaged ones off?"

"You got it," Riku smiled with relief and hurried over to help but before he could even take a step towards the brunette, there was a sudden burst of extreme heat that surrounded them with tall green flames! 

With a cry of "Riku!" Sora was at Riku's side in an instant, keyblade and barrier raised to defend them against the flames that surrounded them and the gummi ship, but they never came in any closer. Suddenly a familiar voice rang out, startling the both of them.

"How dare you fools trespass here? At MY castle!?"

They knew that voice! "Maleficent!?" Riku called out.

The dark fairy draped in black stepped forth from the acid green flames, looking none too pleased to see them. "State your business before I lose my temper."

They lowered their weapons cautiously. The last thing they wanted to do was stir trouble, especially if this is her castle as she claims. "It was just an accident, promise! We're just going to repair our ship and be on our way," Sora quickly explained. He hadn't seen the "mistress of all evil" in years and he certainly wasn't exactly eager to chat.

"You expect me to believe you?" she scoffed. "What business would two keyblade wielders have out here if not to irritate me?"

"Where is here exactly?" Riku asked.

"The Enchanted Dominion," she answered curtly as she studied the both of them and their ship. Given the damage, it seems they very well may be telling the truth, but something wasn't adding up. Riku was giving her the same intense gaze that she remembered being so fond of when she first found him all alone and then there was Sora...something was different about his aura and yet familiar. She sensed something she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Riku saw the way her eyes narrowed suspiciously at Sora. "Wait, Maleficent--!"

The witch waved her staff and thick black vines with thorns the size of daggers shot up from the ground at Sora's feet and wrapped themselves around his body to hold him up painfully by his wrists, preventing him from defending himself with his keyblade. "AAGH!!"

"LET HIM GO!" Riku shouted, dashing forward in an attempt to cut him free, but Maleficent put up another wall of flame to prevent him from getting any closer as she walked towards Sora. "MALEFICENT!"

"Silence!" she demanded coldly as she glided over to Sora and grabbed him roughly by the chin. "Look at me, boy."

"That's Master Sora to you!" the brunette hissed as he tried to wrench his face from her grasp but her pointed fingers held him steadfast, her nails biting into his skin as she forced him to hold still so she could look deep into his eyes.

Deep in the depths of Sora's heart, she could see a shadow lurking within...no...trapped. Her lips slowly curled up in a smirk. "My, what a predicament you've found yourself in." Sora growled in her grasp but she let out an amused cackle before releasing his face. "I wonder how you'll worm your way out of this one, old friend."

Sora raised an eyebrow, having a feeling that she wasn't talking to him but rather...

Riku caught on quickly. "How do YOU know Darkness?" he asked.

"It's no concern of yours," Maleficent waved him off before she dismissed the thorns that were holding Sora as well as the flames that were keeping Riku at bay. "I'll ask you again. What are your true intentions?"

Sora scrambled to his feet and rubbed his wrists where the thorns nearly cut through his wrists if it weren't for his gauntlets, glowering at Maleficent the whole time. Something's different about her. Here she felt much more threatening. Maybe it's because they're on her home turf or maybe she's been up to something. Either way, if this is her home, they can't just attack her without premise as that would be a violation of world order. "It's like I said. We didn't come here intentionally. We're on our honey--"

"Sora!" Riku interrupted but it was already too late. Maleficent eyes had widened and a smooth smirk of amusement slid across her angled features as she turned to look at Riku.

"So, you finally claimed that which you wanted most. My congratulations. I must confess, I hadn't heard. I must've misplaced my invitation."

Riku didn't miss the way her hand slid over her staff as she said this but before he could assuage her, Sora was talking again. "You wouldn't have wanted to come to the realm of light anyway. But don't worry, next time we have a big celebration close by, we'll invite you and Pete. Where _is_ he anyway?"

"He had other affairs to tend to," she huffed.

Riku was doing his best not to show how put off he was by what Sora just promised. Did he seriously not think she would hold him to that? He tried to open his mouth again to speak, but Sora was apparently not done!

"Well now that we know where you are, we know where to send your next invitation," Sora chuckled nervously. "Can we get back to fixing our ship now? Then we'll be out of your...horns."

Maleficent's lip curled up in a snarl, but she rolled her eyes and turned away. "Fine. Fix your ship and begone, both of you! Don't let me catch you lurking in my domain again!" she shouted coldly before disappearing in another burst of green flame.

"Well, you heard the lady!" Sora smiled as he bent down to gather the blocks he dropped. "Let's hurry up so we can get out of here."

Riku rushed over to check on the brunette. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?"

"I'm fine, honest! I just want to get out of here before anything else happens," Sora insisted as he set the blocks in place. He then turned to grip Riku's hips and stood on his toes to give him a deep kiss to help ease his worries. "And then we can get back to _other things~_ "

Riku let out a small snort through his nose as he retaliated with a firm grasp at Sora's ass. "Fine by me. Chop chop, Mr. Fix-It."

"Alright, alright!" Sora squealed before turning back around and fixing up the rest of the ship. Repairing a gummi ship was a lot like playing with building blocks, just a lot heavier. In a few short minutes, the ship was whirring back to life, all power back online, and they scrambled to get inside so they can take off for their next destination.


	3. Flowering Hopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two run into Even in Radiant Garden and he has an interesting proposition for them.

Sora and Riku had a blast for the rest of their honeymoon but as they started to wind down, they edged back into the more familiar worlds, the ones closest to home, eventually ending up in Radiant Garden. But even then, they didn't tell their other friends they were there yet, choosing to stay in one of the local inns and keeping to themselves as they rested from their trips. At least that was the idea, but even though they were closer to coming home, they still weren't out of the "honeymoon mood" yet. So much so that when they woke up the next morning, Sora was covered in little red kissy bite marks that wouldn't go away with even a curaga spell, especially around the neck, so he was forced to wear one of his white turtleneck-esque muscle shirts to cover up and paired it with a red vest hoodie and black cargo highwaters. Riku was also in casual clothes, but his was a cropped gray hoodie with the sleeves cut off and a loose pair of jeans with one knee worn through. Said silverette really liked Sora's outfit, even as casual as it was. He loved seeing the tanned brunette in white, but especially in _that_ shirt and couldn't help admiring how it accentuates his abs and how it's just tight enough to ride up and show a hint of skin on his hips.

So as they walked down the neatly kept cobblestone streets of Radiant Garden, he couldn't keep himself from slipping an arm around Sora's hips and sliding a finger over that little sliver of skin which never ceased to make Sora blush. "Rikuuuu..."

The taller male snickered and leaned down close to kiss Sora's burning face. "What can I say? You look good in white."

Sora's eyes got impossibly wide. _Did he just--????_ "R-Riku!!" he gasped.

The keyblade master threw his head back in a loud laugh before quickly covering his mouth with his free hand and dragging Sora away to a fountain before the other could throttle him, but that wasn't enough to keep Sora from jabbing him in the side with two fingers. "Ow!"

"I wouldn't have to wear this shirt if you weren't so rough last night," Sora hissed between his teeth.

"I didn't hear you complaining. All I heard was a lot of--"

Sora quickly covered Riku's mouth with both hands. "Don't you dare!"

Riku stuck his tongue out to wetly lick Sora's palm, making the brunette quickly retract his hands. "Ugh! That still feels weird!"

The silverette snickered and pulled Sora close to him again apologetically, but he also just couldn't let it go. "You were just as rough, by the way."

Sora smirked and stood on his toes to nuzzle into Riku's neck before biting playfully just low enough that the hood's fabric would cover it. "Yeah, but at least I leave marks where they can be covered," he purred.

Riku shuddered but also couldn't help grinning at how openly affectionate Sora was being. Once the honeymoon was officially over, it might be hard to tone this back again. Sora's chocolate locks brushed his cheek and he couldn't help inhaling his sweet scent; citrus and ocean breeze. He held him tighter, fingers daring to graze that sensitive spot on Sora's lower back. "I love you."

Sora shuddered against him but he didn't bother reprimanding Riku this time, only melting against his broad chest. "I love you, too~"

"Would you like to buy some flowers?"

The two broke apart slightly and looked down to see a little girl with a basket full of flowers, a fistful of them clutched in her hand as she held them up for them to see.

Riku couldn't help smiling and let Sora go to grab his wallet. "How much for this one?" he asked, pointing to a bright pink cosmos in her basket.

The little girl's face lit up happily. "Three munny!"

"Oof, you strike a hard bargain," the silverette chuckled, pulling out three munny to hand her before she gave him the flower in exchange. He then proceeded to slip it into Sora's hair. "What do you think? Looks good on him, right?"

The little girl giggled. "It does!"

Sora giggled too. "I want to buy one, too. Which one do you think would look good on _him_?"

The little girl studied Riku thoughtfully for a moment, seemingly very pleased that Sora asked for her expertise. "Yellow!" she exclaimed proudly before picking out a yellow daisy.

"Pefect!" Sora praised before handing her ten munny and taking the flower to tuck behind Riku's ear. "Keep the change. Thank you!"

"Thank YOU!" she cheered happily before skipping away, leaving the two to chuckle.

"Adorable," Sora giggled.

"She looks like a tiny Aerith," Riku snickered.

"She doooooes~" Sora practically cooed. "I want five just like her."

"Pbbbt, you mean you want your own flower-peddling army?" Riku snorted.

"As funny as that would be, no, I mean I hope our kids are just as cute as her," the brunette elaborated.

Riku smiled gently though he was reddening at the thought. "Aren't all kids cute, though?"

"Sure, but you and I were EXTRA cute," Sora chuckled.

"Ha! Maybe _you_ were," the silverette snickered.

"You were, too! Don't be modest!" the brunette giggled while gently poking Riku's reddening cheek.

Riku turned away from the intruding finger. "H-have you thought about it, though?"

Sora settled back on the balls of his feet. "About what? Having kids?"

"Yeah..." Riku crossed his arms as he kicked at an invisible rock on the ground with his boot. "I mean I know it's a little soon but..."

"Oh sure!" Sora grinned unabashedly as he laced his fingers behind his head. "Especially now that Aqua and Terra are talking about opening up a school and everything. I mean I know it's probably too soon, but I think about it."

Riku felt his chest get warm at Sora's white smile. Raising a family with Sora would be so... "Heh...well since we're spit-balling..."

"Hehe," Sora offered his hand and Riku took it, the brunette swinging it between them as they continued their little aimless walk. "How many would you want?"

"Depends on how hard it is to get the first one, I think," Riku answered honestly.

"That's fair," the brunette chuckled. "Obviously we'd have to adopt. But..."

"Well, yes, but there's also surrogacy, you know," Riku pointed out.

"I guess...but...I dunno...the thought seems a little..." he trailed off, not really sure how to explain himself.

Sora didn't have to say, Riku knew what he was thinking. "It'd require a lot of trust."

"Right, I think that's it," Sora nodded. There's more to it than that, but yes, trust was a big one.

Riku could see the brunette's brow furrowing so he tried to lighten the topic a little more. "It is funny to think, though, what would a kid between us look like?"

"He'd have your attitude, for sure!" Sora teased without skipping a beat, grinning widely as he playfully nudged the taller male with his elbow. "Or she!"

"Imagine a little girl with your messy hair. Which one of us would have to be the one to help the poor thing untangle it every morning?" Riku snickered.

"Omigosh, if my daughter had hair like my mom's she'd probably resent me for her whole life! She'll have to have YOUR hair," Sora nodded.

Riku laughed. "My hair? But..."

Sora's eyes widened. "Shit, you're right! We'd have to beat the boys off of her with a stick!"

The elder keyblade master let out a loud laugh. "She'll just have to be homeschooled."

"Noooooooo! Us homeschooling our kids? We couldn't subject them to that! They'd hate us!"

"They'd hate ME. You would probably let them slack off!"

"Heh heh, I'll be the cool dad. You can be the strict dad."

"No way!" Riku scoffed. "That's not fair!"

"Well SOMEBODY has to be the tough guy!" Sora argued.

"I'll just have to spoil them so much that you would look like the mean dad in comparison," the elder man grinned.

"NO WAY! It shouldn't be a competition! RIKUUUUU!!"

"Sora? Riku?"

The two turned around to see Even behind them carrying a woven basket full of ingredients. He must've been shopping. "Are you finally back from your honeymoon?" the blonde asked.

"Eh-heh," Sora chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. "Kinda? But not really?"

"Oh, I see," the scientist smirked. "Well, since you're here, there's something I've been wanting to show you two for a while now."

"Something to show _us_?" Sora questioned.

"Yes, at the lab. I promise I won't try to take up too much of your time."

Sora looked to Riku who gave a little shrug. "Uh, sure. But...it's nothing weird, right?" Sora asked nervously.

"Well _I_ don't think so," Even grinned in a way that looked almost unnatural to the couple. "Please, follow me."

The two walked in relative silence as they followed Even, the blonde not really one for idle conversation, they've noticed. It also appears that Even was taking care to lead them to his own lab on a route that avoided other people, which the two were grateful for, given that they still weren't up to socializing with everybody yet. They've met up with a LOT of friends on their honeymoon and were still a bit tired. Heck, Riku was STILL exhausted from socializing with all those people at their wedding.

In Even's lab, the man set down his basket of groceries before typing a few things into a laptop in the center of the room and a larger screen behind him lit up, showing a side by side view of what appeared to be Sora and Riku's data.

Riku frowned almost immediately. "What is this?"

"THIS is the data I've compiled of the both of you. Everything from your personalities down to your very genetics," the scientist explained proudly.

Sora tilted his mouth. He was about to ask where Even got their genetic data from, but he recalled the time both he and Riku came to get their blood tested. He hadn't thought that the research scientists would actually KEEP it. "And...?" he asked.

"You know all about the replica project. But I've also been developing a new idea...a way to combine the data and genetics of two people to create a new person!" he explained.

Riku's jaw dropped. "Wait, are you saying..."

"Yes, Riku. I'm offering you and Sora a chance to have your very own child, one that's truly made from the BOTH of you," the excited scientist finished. To Sora, he looked as giddy as he's ever seen him.

"Wow...Even...I don't know what to say," Sora gaped.

"No need to thank me," Even grinned.

"Wait, how would this work, exactly?" Riku asked skeptically.

"You simply tell me which traits you both desire your child to have and using the newest replica form I have developed, I input the data and genetic material and when it's ready, you'll have an infant that will grow up just like any other child."

It sounded almost too good to be true. Something worried the brunette. "Where would its heart come from?" Sora asked.

Even crossed his arms in front of himself as he tried to think of the best way to answer that question. "That...I think, would depend on the both of you."

Riku thought back to when he interacted with Ansem the Wise's data inside of Sora's heart during the Mark of Mastery exam. Hearts are quick to grow, he said, and when Sora sees the heart in something it becomes real. "Are you saying that they would awaken with a new heart once we see them for the first time?"

The scientist nodded, "Yes, that is what I believe."

Sora smiled with relief...a new person...made from him and Riku...something that he never thought would ever be possible and it was being offered to them just like that. But still the way he describe the process felt so strange. "While that sounds amazing, Even, I don't know how I feel about picking and choosing things. Like...I don't know...I don't want to DESIGN a baby."

Riku bit his lower lip to keep from laughing at the way Sora worded it, but it was a very good point. He wouldn't feel right about that, either. Plus they would never come to agree, he knew. The two of them would just argue that their child should have the other's traits.

Even raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected this. "Perhaps...would you two prefer the results be randomized?"

Sora brightened, "Can that be done?"

Riku also felt his enthusiasm growing. "That WOULD be the most true-to-life way, would it not?"

"Hmm...I suppose for authenticity's sake, I could try to make it possible. A randomizing program shouldn't be too hard to write. Perhaps when you're ready, you two can come back and be the ones to push the button and finalize the results for yourselves," Even suggested.

Sora couldn't help giggling at the way he said "push the button". "Sure! When we're ready, we'll come back to push the baby button!"

Riku snorted. "But that might be a few years from now," he quickly added before either of them could get too excited.

"Of course," Even nodded. "I expected you two would want to wait. But I wanted to give you two plenty of time to consider it as an option. As a new couple, I'm sure you have many future plans you'll be discussing."

"Yes," Riku nodded. "Thank you, Even. We'll definitely be taking this into consideration."

Sora smiled and squeezed Riku's hand. "Just...do us a favor and not tell anybody about what we discussed. I think we want to talk about this between ourselves for the time being."

"Of course. I do not plan to make my work public knowledge either, not just yet anyway," Even nodded. "I do not think the worlds are ready for just anybody to have this chance yet. If there is anybody that is worthy, however, I could not think of anybody better than you two."

Riku was sure Even was trying to sound genuine and complimentary, but he couldn't shake the feeling that in between the lines he was actually saying he couldn't think of two better specimens to make a new person from, but even that could be considered a compliment if he squinted hard enough.

"Well, thanks again. I hope the offer is still on the table in a few years," Sora grinned. "In the meantime, I think we're going to get back to our honeymoon."

"Certainly. But how much longer is your honeymoon going to take? The wedding was over three weeks ago," Even smirked.

"It's been THAT long? Oh shit, Kairi's going to kill us!" Sora exclaimed.

"Rox is going to be pissed!" Riku slapped a hand against his own forehead.

Even's eyes widened with concern. "You...honestly didn't know?" he asked but the two were already sprinting out the door.


	4. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four months after the honeymoon and already Sora finds himself in hot water.

_4 months later..._

Sora was heading home in his own gummi ship after finishing off his latest mission. What a strange one it was. He was the size of an ant in a forest fighting off a full-sized Soldier heartless that may has well been a Darkside with how big it was. As much easier it would have been to just reverse the magic and fight it head-on, it was too risky to the world's inhabitants which were bugs. He had become good friends with the ant colony's inhabitants and a circus full of colorful characters so now he can't help thinking about the bugs he's squished in the past.

"I'll never squish a fly again!" Sora bemoaned as he kicked the thrusters into overdrive. He was exhausted after his mission and he knew he should've taken one day to rest but he was too excited. He hadn't seen Riku in two weeks and desperately wanted to get home and sleep in his own bed. The new gummi ship he built was nice and all with the latest in amenities that plundered heartless ship pieces could provide, but it just wasn't home, especially without Riku beside him. As he popped his sore shoulder, his mind wandered back to his husband who had his own mission to contend with.

"I wonder if he's home yet?" he wondered aloud. "I should call him and tell him I'm on my way."

Being the totally responsible gummi ship driver that he is, Sora found an empty spot of space to slow down and kill the engine so he could call Riku. As he waited through the dial tone, he rubbed at a bit of dirt stuck to the back of his hand. He's going to need a hot bath when he gets back. After the eighth ring, he groaned as he got Riku's answering machine.

"You reached Riku, please leave a message. If you're Sora, I miss you."

"Awwww~" Sora blushed. Riku usually changes the answering machine message whenever he's gone for a long trip but it never ceases to make him smile. He couldn't help wondering what other people thought when they heard Riku's answering messages. "They prolly jelly," he giggled to himself. "WAIT, I'm supposed to leave a message. Shit. Um let me do that over!" He hung up and called again. "Uh, Riku! Ignore that last message! I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way home. Uh...I miss you, too. Can't wait to see you. And..." He paused...he hated leaving messages. He never felt like he could make them quick and to the point but no matter what, he wanted to make sure all messages ended the same way. "I love you." He smiled before hanging up and turning the engine back on.

But just as he was about to turn on the thrusters again, he glanced out the side of the cockpit where a large swirling black mass caught his eye. "What the..." He squinted to see it through the darkness of space, but there was definitely something there. "Nope nope. Curiosity killed the cat, Sora." He shook his head and instead chose to pull up the intercom. "You there, Chip?"

"We're here, Master Sora!" the chipmunk answered over the radio.

"Can you see my coordinates? There's a thing at my 3 o'clock. It kind of looks like a warp tunnel, but...creepier. I don't see it mentioned on the Nav."

"Checking now. Dale! Get over here!"

Sora chuckled as he heard the rodents scramble. It was only a few more seconds before they responded but he could already feel himself growing impatient and wishing he never bothered. But if there really was something bad over here, the responsible thing would be to report it so none of his other fellow keyblade wielders get potentially caught in something nasty.

"I am getting some strange readings next to you, Master Sora. We're recording the coordinates, but for now I advise you stay far away from it!" Chip reported.

"Copy that. I'm heading back home anyway! Thanks, Chip!" the brunette smiled as he hung up, eager to get back to what he was doing. Once again, he reached for the thrusters when suddenly his gauges started flashing on his console. "Whoa! What's going on!?" He banged on the corner of it a couple of times in order to get the alarms to stop and suddenly they were all silent but they also stopped working!

"Come onnnnn!!" he banged it again and flicked the power switches on and off. "This thing is practically brand new! I wanna go home!" he shouted impatiently as he waited for everything to reboot.

When it came on, the radar started going off like crazy and lit up with a hundred blue dots. "Huh!?" he looked up and sure enough a heartless fleet had shown up from completely out of nowhere. "SHIT!" he hissed and hurried to turn on the thrusters and flicked the controls to release his teenie ships. "I don't have time to play!" he growled as he planned to gun right through them as they were in his direct path home. But as he hit the throttle it quickly became apparent that his ship wasn't moving forward at all!

"What's going on!?" He pushed the engines as hard as they would go and the gauges clearly showed they were operating, but something was holding him back and the enemy ships were coming in closer! He spun his head around to see that the black mass that was originally far on his right was now directly behind him! Had it moved or had he been slowly falling into it this whole time!? The engines were straining to make any progress and he could see them overheating the longer he pushed them but it was the only thing keeping him away from the mass that was looming closer and closer. "Come on come on come on!" he begged as the armada also started to close in on him.

Suddenly the ship started rattling violently as he was being shot at from all sides. He activated the teenie ships and began shooting and dodge rolling to deflect the enemy lasers all while the engines kept going at max capacity to keep him free from the pull of the swirling black mass threatening to suck him in. The longer he struggled the more his gauges began to flicker and the louder all of his alarms blared. It wasn't looking good!

Outside he could hear his shields failing and entire pieces of his ship coming off! With one last kick to the console to urge it back to life, he flipped on the intercom again. "MAYDAY MAYDAY!"

"Master Sora!" Dale responded from the other end!

"I'm getting sucked in! There are heartless everywhere! I can't break free!"

The ship shook violently once again, nearly slamming Sora face first into the wheel. Preparing for total failure, he slapped the gold heart emblem on his shoulder plate to activate his keyblade armor. As soon as the visor of his helmet was over his face, he felt a huge LURCH in his chest as suddenly the ship completely lost power and his ship was sucked into the swirling black mass.

He held on for dear life, clutching at the arm rests with a white knuckle grip as his ship spun out of control. There was a roaring in his ears as he heard his teenie ships slam against the hull before they too disappeared from sight. Everything was pitch black and then suddenly there were streams of blinding white light that threatened to blind him! He scrunched his eyes closed tightly as he waited for the end to come, hoping and praying that it would all just stop already! He was spinning so fast he couldn't move his arms or legs! He almost couldn't even breathe! "JUST STOP ALREADY!" he cried out painfully as he felt himself about to be sick.

Finally, it all came to a stop and Sora went from feeling impossibly heavy to weightless. It made sense. Without power there wasn't any gravity to hold him down. Out the window he could see swirls of purple and black and...pictures? He undid his seatbelt and floated to the top of the glass bowl to see better. It was like being inside a dark and depressing snow globe and instead of snowflakes it was like peering into windows of other worlds or moments of time. It reminded him a lot of when Xehanort opened keyholes to teleport around when he was attacking, but instead of keyholes it was like looking into holes of frayed fabric that drifted aimlessly through the sky and disappeared. If he strained hard enough to listen he could swear he could hear voices outside of the ship but for now it sounded like a thundercloud in the distance that made the glass vibrate beneath his fingers.

He pushed away from the glass and hurried to check on the control panel. Using his gummi phone's flash as a flashlight, he desperately tried to get everything back online but it was no use. There wasn't any power. "I'm a sitting duck like this!" he growled with frustration. He seriously considered ditching the ship for a second and just flying out on his own but if the gigantic engines on his gummi ship couldn't escape the pull of this thing, what are the odds that his keyblade glider could? And where would he end up without a navigation system to guide him home?

Plus the atmosphere of this place was just...it made his chest feel tight. He took a few deep breaths as he turned the flashlight off his phone to conserve battery. He only had thirty percent left and it was draining fast as the phone was busy searching for a signal. "TRON, are you there?" he asked.

The friendly AI's face popped up on his screen, sending a wave of relief through Sora. That's right. He just has to remember that no matter what, he's never truly alone. "I'm here, Sora."

"TRON, I'm in a bit of a pickle. My ship's not working and I'm stuck somewhere weird. Do you think you can run a dia...dia..."

"Diagnostic?" TRON offered helpfully.

"Right!"

"Well from the looks of things you don't have any power. I can't run a diagnostic if the ship isn't running. But I can help walk you through potential solutions so you'll at least be able to fix that much."

"I just don't understand. Sure, I got hit a few times, but even before that, everything was acting weird. This is a brand new ship. Why isn't anything working?"

"Based on the data from the most recent scan of your location, it appears the electromagnetic field of this area is potentially reversing the polarity of the--"

Sora's brow furrowed in frustration. He'd be rubbing his temples right now if he wasn't wearing his helmet. He didn't have time to pretend he understood anything the program just said. Instead he curtly shouted, "TRON! PLEASE!"

The AI sighed and said, "Weird black cloud make your electronics go BRRR!"

Sora stared at the screen in complete silence for a whole two seconds before suddenly bursting into a fit of laughter. "PBBBBBBBT!!! Wa-was that a joke?"

"Yes, did it work?" TRON asked hopefully.

Sora sniffled as he felt tears of mirth forming in the corners of his eyes. "Yeah...yeah, that was pretty good." He smiled gratefully at his friend for lightening the mood.

"But we need to hurry. You're running low on battery," the program reminded him urgently.

"Is there any way we can extend it?" Sora asked desperately. He knew he should've plugged it in when he had the chance, but there was no point in crying over it now.

"Your phone's still searching for a signal over the gummi network, which I'm sure we won't be able to reach. So I recommend disabling the wifi and the mobile capabilities. That should buy you some time."

"Alright, do that, if you don't mind," Sora nodded.

"Right. Disabling signal search."

"What next?"

"If we can't find an internal solution, you might have to go outside the ship."

"Either way I'll need to find spare parts, but it's so dark in the cargo bay. I don't even have any emergency power. But wait, there's gotta be a flashlight around here somewhere," he mumbled to himself as he squinted around in the dark. "Wait! My camping lantern! Duh!" he gave a cheesy grin before digging into his hip satchel in the side pocket of the captain's chair. "Good thing this didn't fall open while we were spinning around," he chuckled to himself as he dug out his trusty lantern. "Okay, hang tight, TRON, I'll be right back."

"Copy that."

The screen went blank and he stuck the phone to his hip before wrenching the below deck doors open. Without any power, they were really hard to open manually. In the cargo bay, it was a complete mess as all the collected parts had fallen off the neatly stacked shelves during impact. Gummi blocks were incredibly durable for the most part, so he wasn't too worried about anything being broken, but it sure makes it hard for him to check his inventory for replacement parts, especially when there wasn't any GRAVITY!

After digging for about half an hour, he found a few parts that might come in handy, internally and externally, and heaved them up one by one to the places he knew were damaged. Some of it was as simple as replacing the busted blocks and throwing them out. But some required a little more hardwiring that was a bit beyond his limited expertise and his gummi phone battery was running out fast! "TRON, there's so much damage, I don't know what to do!"

"It'll be okay, Sora. I'll walk you through it."

"But...the battery is at 15%. It won't be enough! I mean...can I plug you into one of these power blocks?"

"I wouldn't advise that. You could end up frying your phone," the program warned.

Sora felt his anxiety building up. His heart was racing and he wanted so badly to take off his helmet, but for all he knew it was the only thing keeping him breathing and from freezing up entirely. He reached into his hip satchel again and dug around for his music box to calm himself down so he could think. Though he couldn't see the silver pieces moving inside the box, he could see it in his mind's eye as he listened to the song of his and Riku's hearts, his eyes closing as he allowed the nostalgic tune to calm him.

TRON could hear the music box. "Sora, what's powering that box?"

"A gummi battery," Sora shrugged. "Geppetto really likes playing with gummi tech."

"Sora...I hate to suggest this..."

The brunette's eyes widened. "N-no, I can't! I'm sorry, I can't!" He shook his head and held the box to his chest protectively as he felt himself on the verge of tears. "Anything but that!"

"Do you have anything else that runs on gummi batteries?" TRON asked gently.

Sora racked his brain desperately. He didn't really have much else except..."Wait, I might have something else." He put the music box away and dug around. "Please be in here..." he muttered as he scraped all around the inside until his hand found another small box that meant a lot to him...the red music box that held his engagement ring. With a heavy heart, he withdrew it from the satchel and turned it over in his hands. It was a simple box, unlike the other intricate work of art that Riku gave him, but he hoped he'd be able to get the battery out without hurting it. However, after studying it under the glow of the lantern, it appears the box was sealed tight with wood glue. No screws or anything to be found. "I'll have to force it open, I guess," he announced sadly.

"I'm sorry, Sora. Maybe we can find an alternative."

Sora shook his head. "There isn't enough time." He sniffled deeply and grabbed his hammer. "Forgive me."


	5. Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku learns that Sora's missing. Sora meets an old foe.

"What do you mean Sora's missing!?" Riku shouted over the gummi phone. He had just gotten signal again only to find his phone blowing up with notifications of missed calls and messages.

"We tried to call you!" Dale explained. "He sent out a distress signal four hours ago but we haven't been able to locate him! We sent Masters Aqua and Terra to his last known location, but the anomaly he reported before he disappeared is gone!"

Riku ran his hand through his hair in frustration, his patience wearing thin as his heart raced at the thought of Sora missing in some unknown place. "Never mind that, just send me the coordinates of his last location. I'll look for myself."

Not satisfied until he personally looked into Sora's last known whereabouts, Riku combed the entire area four times over. It was just as they said. Whatever was here, whatever swallowed Sora up, wasn't here anymore.

Exhausted from his search and his heart feeling as heavy as lead, Riku had no choice but to call it a night and landed at Disney castle. At least there, he could talk to Chip and Dale directly and hopefully get some better answers.

Mickey himself was there to greet him in the hangar when he arrived and immediately deflated when he noticed Sora wasn't with him, giving Riku a sympathetic smile and a pat on the side of his knee. "We'll find him, Riku."

Riku could only sigh and nod, his shoulders hunched as they ached from leaning over a gummi ship steering wheel for the past six hours. "Have Chip and Dale found anything else?"

The king shook his head as he walked with Riku out of the hangar. "I'm afraid not. All they have is the data from the original scan that they got from Sora's ship and from his ship's computer log. They said the readings were very similar to a warp tunnel but on a much more massive scale and--" he stopped when he saw the horrified look in Riku's eyes. "Well..."

"It was very unstable!" Dale finished, one of the two gummi ship engineers now walking in what little space there was between Riku and the King. "He could end up anywhere!" he exclaimed before Chip bopped him on the noggin for his lack of tact.

Riku's stomach twisted into tighter knots but he tried to keep his voice and temper calm. None of this information seemed very helpful, if you could even call it information at all. "But...there is a chance he ended up SOMEWHERE, right? Can't we ping for his ship's location once he's out?"

"We could," Chip answered cautiously. "IF he ends up somewhere near our gummi satellites. But if he's too far away, we'll have no way of knowing."

"He wouldn't even be able to call for help!" Dale realized.

Riku clenched his fist so hard it shook and Mickey sure didn't miss it. "What it sounds like to me, fellas, is that we need to get to work launching more satellites as quickly as we can. We'll have a team in charge of looking out for Sora, someone to keep an eye on the airways, and of course a team to launch the satellites. As far as we can go!" the king decided.

"How long would all of that take?" Riku asked.

Chip and Dale looked at each other nervously. "Well, if we can get all the resources we need..." Dale started.

"And a skilled enough team to help us build..." Chip pondered.

The two chipmunks looked back and forth at Mickey and RIku's faces before answering. "The first new satellite can be up in a few days. But we're going to need help. To get the best range possible, we'll probably need to launch twenty more!" Chip estimated.

"In other words, it's a needle in a haystack," Riku sighed.

"Yes, but with new satellites, it'll be like having a giant magnet to help us find the needle. It'll just take time!" Dale explained.

"Well if I know Sora, I'm sure he'll be fine for a little while. Right, Riku?" Mickey asked.

Riku gave a small smile. "Yeah, if he's not hurt." He put his trembling hand over his chest. "I can feel him still, but I'm not getting much else. If anybody would know if he's in any pain, it'd be Roxas. What did his last transmission sound like?"

The two gummi engineers winced and shrunk down with their ears bent low. Mickey put a hand to his mouth. "Oh gosh."

"I want to hear it," Riku said firmly.

"Master Riku...are you sure?" Dale asked. "We've already analyzed the audio. There isn't much else to gain from hearing it."

"I am," the silverette nodded. Chip and Dale looked to King Mickey who gave a remorseful nod before the two agreed and led the way to the gummi lab.

Despite the rodents' small stature, the lab was filled with gigantic computers and normal-sized keyboards but also tiny ones hooked up to those. This couldn't be an efficient way for them to work, Riku thought to himself, but now was not the time to think about chipmunk ergonomics. All over the giant screens he could see maps and radar and so many other oscillating measurements that he couldn't wrap his head around at the moment. What he was most concerned with was what Dale was now pulling up on the screen as he and Chip scurried across the keys. An audio file was pulled up alongside a video of the radar output Sora's ship was giving before his ship went offline. The two engineers hesitated before going any further but Riku gave them another firm nod and they hit the spacebar to play the audio file, the sound waves jostling rapidly as Sora spoke, meanwhile there was a strange reading looming on the right side of Sora's radar.

"You there, Chip?" Sora's voice crackled over the audio feed.

"We're here, Master Sora!" Chip's voice answered.

"Can you see my coordinates? There's a thing at my 3 o'clock. It kind of looks like a warp tunnel, but...creepier. I don't see it mentioned on the Nav." Even as crackled as the audio sounded, Riku could hear the uncertainty loud and clear in Sora's voice, which was very unusual for the normally space-adventurous brunette.

"Checking now. Dale! Get over here!"

"Heh heh."

Riku couldn't help smiling as he heard Sora chuckle. Even as worried as he was, Sora's laugh always manages to calm his heart, at least a little bit.

"I am getting some strange readings next to you, Master Sora. We're recording the coordinates, but for now I advise you stay far away from it!" Chip's voice reported.

"Copy that. I'm heading back home anyway! Thanks, Chip!"

Riku waited for the click that should have followed signaling the intercom being turned off, but Sora must've forgotten because suddenly the audio blew up with the sounds of alarms going off that made him and even Mickey jump a little.

"Whoa! What's going on!?" Sora's voice yelled. There was a sound of banging and suddenly the audio cut out abruptly as did the recording of the scanner's feed.

Typical, Riku thought to himself, smiling helplessly as he imagined Sora banging the crap out of his console instead of properly seeing what the actual problem is. However the smile immediately fell from his face as the audio and the scanner feed came back on, alarmingly lit with what must've been over a hundred pings, which were clearly heartless ships and directly at the top of the screen there was now an even bigger black smudge, undoubtedly the unknown anomaly that Sora had pointed out just seconds ago.

"MAYDAY MAYDAY!" Sora's voice shouted, high-pitched and crackled as his shouting nearly blew out the mic. "I'm getting sucked in! There are heartless everywhere! I can't break free!"

Riku's heart clenched and cold sweat ran down the side of his face as he heard Sora struggle to gun down the heartless surrounding him. On the screen he could see he was taking a lot of the little blue dots out, but for every one he got rid of, two more seemed to take their place, all the while the strange black reading took up more and more of the screen until everything cut off entirely. There was nothing else.

Even after it was over, Riku could still hear the blaring alarms in his ears and the sound of Sora's panicked voice as he sent out a distress call. His heart raced and his body started trembling.

"Riku..." Mickey said the other's name gently. "We'll find him. Everything's going to be okay."

"R-Right," Riku swallowed hard. He could hear Mickey trying to shake him out of it, but he couldn't listen. His mind was racing to think of other ways to reach Sora. The Dream Eater link? Could he even reach Sora where he is? If he can, that means he's near by, but what would be the odds? Plus he needs to sleep and how can he sleep knowing that Sora is out there lost and alone?

"Riku," the king called the other's name a little louder, this time getting the silverette's attention. "It's late. There's nothing else we can do now. Let's get you something to eat and after you've had a good rest, we'll start on a plan, okay?"

Riku nodded and followed Mickey wordlessly out of the lab, giving Chip and Dale a hollow thank you before they left.

Eat he says...yeah right.

Sleep? Fat chance.

But Mickey was right. He had to try.

As he followed the king through the castle gardens, he looked up at the night sky and whispered a plea to the stars. "Please be safe...Sora..."

* * *

The gummi battery Sora pried out of his engagement ring music box fit snugly into the back of his gummi phone. He hurried to reassemble it and breathed a sigh of relief when TRON's face came back on screen.

"Whoo, that did it."

"Yup! You're at 100%. That should be more than enough to last until we get the ship's power running," TRON confirmed.

"Right. Let's get to work," Sora nodded determinedly.

With TRON walking him through it, Sora managed to repair the wiring on the ship but even with everything looking fine internally, it wouldn't do any good until they fixed the external problems and reinstalled a new power block.

"That part I can do," Sora told TRON as he attached the magnetic back of the gummi phone to his hip. "Just stand by."

"Roger that, Sora."

Cautiously, he pried open the hatch. Down below he could see sparking in the cloudy black expanse beneath the ship but at least there didn't seem to be any debris that could hit him. However, that being said, he's never attempted repairs on the gummi ship in the vacuum of space so he grabbed a rope and tied it to himself, just in case, and lowered himself out with a couple of gummi blocks tucked under his arm.

Needless to say, it was difficult to attempt the repairs when his tools and blocks were floating around in zero gravity, but he had to make do. While keeping the most important blocks clamped tight between his legs, he used his arms to pry off the damaged blocks on the outside of his ship and scrambled to install the power block. As soon as it was inserted in place, the ship hummed back to life and Sora let out a cry of happiness. "YES!" After that, he scrambled to repair the hull and was relieved to find that he wasn't leaking any fuel.

After the last block was shoved into place, he was ready to pull himself back into the ship when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Fancy seeing you here!" the Master of Masters greeted.

Sora felt his blood run ice cold as he recognized the voice. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He summoned his keyblade and spun around to face the source of the voice but there wasn't anybody there.

Cold sweat dripped down his chin. "I'm...I'm hearing things."

"Not quite!"

He spun around again to see a figure cloaked in black sitting on top of his ship, sitting casually with his legs crossed and leaning back on his hands as if they were having a friendly chat and not floating in the zero gravity of space!

"What are _you_ doing here?!" Sora spat.

"Well you see I'm not _actually_ here. I mean I am, but I'm actually not. Look, it's complicated. I'd try to explain, but it'd go way over your head," he waved dismissively.

Sora scoffed. "You're trapped here too, aren't you?"

The cloaked man flinched as if offended. "Nooooooooo!" He huffed with his fists on his hips, wagging his shoulders as he silently tut-tutted at Sora for his sass. "I just come here as a go-between. Time and space is like swiss cheese. Sometimes I also just like to chill." He explained as he went back to lounging with his fingers laced behind his head as if he were about to lean back for a nap against the cockpit window.

"Where is HERE exactly?" Sora asked, though as the question left his mouth, he had a feeling the answer he was going to receive was going to be less than helpful.

"Oh yes! Let me be the first to welcome you to The Void!" The Master of Masters waved an arm out dramatically as if to introduce Sora to the swirling black chaos all around them.

"The Void?" the brunette asked. "What's...the void?"

"The Void is a lot of things...but you could also say it's a lot of nothing."

Sora sighed with frustration. Of course he'd speak in riddles. What else did he expect? "Riiiiight...well, I'm just...gonna go, then."

"How?"

Sora stopped and looked back up at the cloaked man. "I'll figure it out."

"Well how do you know you'll end up when and where you want to be?"

"Huh?"

"This Void exists in part because of what _you've_ done, Sora. But thankfully, you haven't screwed up anything yet."

"For me or for you?" Sora growled.

"Neither, as far as I can tell. But you're really pushing it, I'll tell you that much."

"Ha! That's rich. You don't know anything about the person I am NOW. In my timeline, you're toast. You can't see what's in MY future."

"Oh can't I?" he asked innocently.

"That's right, you can't tell anymore without your keyblade, can you?" Sora mocked.

"Oh no, I've seen plenty. But I admit, not for a few more years," he admitted while acting like he was examining his fingernails even though he was wearing gloves.

Sora's eyes widened. "How? Your apprentice is gone!"

"I have another one!" the other stood, fists clenched at his sides as if affronted, but then he relaxed and turned around with his hands clutched behind his back as he kicked at an invisible pebble. "Or rather I will."

"How?" Sora asked cautiously.

The cloaked figure halfway turned. "Heh. Don't worry, you'll meet him in a few years."

Sora's eyebrows furrowed in thought before he realized. "So wait...if you haven't bequeathed it yet, that means I still have time to stop you!" He clenched his fist at the other with determination.

"Good luck! Haha! Tell me, _Master_ Sora, why do you do the things you do? Shouldn't you be back home enjoying your quaint little island?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"My friends and I are trying to preserve peace! Maybe even unite all the worlds one day!" Sora answered. "Not that it's any of your business."

The man lowered and shook his head as if out of pity. "Peace is only temporary."

Sora growled angrily. "What is your deal!?" He hopped onto the wing of his ship to come face to face with the cloaked man he and Riku had dubbed the Bastard of Bastards in the past. "Your apprentices looked up to you and believed that the path you were leading them on would bring about peace. But everything I've seen you do says otherwise! What's the point of all of this if that's how you really feel?!" he demanded.

"To win, obviously," BoB shrugged.

"You think this is some kind of game!?" Sora spat angrily. "Well too bad! The game's over! You lost!"

"Oh no, Sora. It's not over." The cloaked man shook his head again, finally turning completely to look at Sora, his stance menacing and though Sora couldn't see his face, he could feel the man smirking beneath that black hood of his. "You've merely stalled the game. It's not over until the players have decided who's won."

The tone he used sent a chill down Sora's spine, but he won't let himself be rattled. "The players?"

"Yes. Me, Darkness...and by extension, you, Sora."

"If that's the case...I won't lose to either of you. Just you wait. I'll put an end to this game of yours once and for all!"

"You can't do much of anything if you're in here," the man shrugged but then leaned his head heavily to the right. "I mean you caaaaaaaaaaan, but it wouldn't be good...for either of us. But if you're eager to play, then I'll let you in on the rules of this place. Think of it as a preliminary round. Or rather a qualification round."

Sora swallowed as he listened tensely. "Go on."

"You see all these visions are things actually happening across all timelines and dimensions," he waved a hand towards all the "holes" floating around them, visions flashing within like pieces of a torn projector screen. "Wait long enough and you should find a hole that will lead you to where you're meant to be. Of course, you might accidentally fall into one. I mean look at this place, it's almost unavoidable. But don't worry, should that happen, DON'T interact with it. Don't move, don't touch, and it will fade away. The moment you reach out, you're a part of it. There's no going back, not until you find another void, maybe."

His warning was stern and thus Sora took it seriously. "So I just gotta wait for the right one?" the brunette asked.

"Yep, but I wonder if you could be that patient? Would a heart like yours be able to resist~?" BoB leaned as he eyed Sora curiously.

"Whatever it takes," Sora stated firmly.

"Then best of luck! And remember~" He waved a gloved finger. "Don't screw it up." He said those last words darkly before fading away, leaving Sora alone once again.


	6. The Void

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fairy tale that Naminé mentions in this chapter can be found here: [The Tale of Land and Sky](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163230/chapters/52907455)
> 
> SPOILER WARNING FOR TWEWY (just a smidge, but it's a big smidge)

Back in the gummi ship, Sora and TRON tried to formulate a plan. There were so many "visions" floating around the ship, so many windows out of here and yet there was only one TRUE door out. How could they possibly find the right one? What if they miss it?

"I don't think I can keep any eye on all of these at once," Sora sighed as he pulled his helmet off and looked outside the cockpit window. "There are so many."

"And finding the right one that matches your timeline and your dimension might be near impossible," TRON added.

Sora shook his head and placed a hand over his own heart. "No, I'll know the one. Riku will be calling for me on the other side. I just have to listen for him. My heart will know."

"In that case, it would still put less strain on you if we can improve your visual capabilities. Let's take some time to add some upgrades to the ship so I can help you look, too," TRON suggested.

Sora was hesitant at first. After all, taking time to modify the ship could mean missing their window, but he also had faith that he'd hear Riku and his friends so he went along with TRON's plan. In the cargo bay, he had tons of spare parts salvaged from destroyed enemy ships, including consoles and monitors and even a few extra sensory parts. After TRON gave him some instructions for putting it all together, he then asked to be downloaded directly into the ship's computer to help control everything. Within a few hours, Sora had multiple screen set up that gave a live feed of everything that was happening all around the ship, covering what he couldn't see if he were facing forward. It was a bit of a cluttered mess, but it was good to know that they had all their bases covered, visually at least. With TRON inside the ship's computer, he too could look at the feed and keep an eye on the scanners and sonar to watch and listen for anything helpful so Sora would be able to take breaks. This also meant less strain on the gummi phone, which Sora could now keep plugged in. There was just one problem.

"Now we just gotta worry about power," Sora sighed. "I have six power cells. That should be enough to run a ship for the next year and a half, but I've never run the ship 24/7 before. I think the longest I've spent without powering down was maybe 2 days?"

"I can think of other things you should be thinking about. But as for power, as long as you conserve where you can, such as the lights and the shield generators, you should be fine."

"You're right," Sora mused as he bopped his shoulder pad to deactivate his armor. There doesn't seem to be anything dangerous in here. So lowering the shields shouldn't be a problem for the time being."

"Deactivating shields," TRON said.

Sora saw the icon light red on the console, confirming the shields have been turned off. "Okay, what next--AH!"

"Sora???"

Sora suddenly didn't feel so good. He felt a stabbing sensation in his left temple, like he had just been struck with a migraine. His vision was going fuzzy and there was this awful itching crawling all over his skin and a tugging sensation...like he was slowly being pulled apart. "Something's wrong. I don't feel right!" Panicking, he activated his armor again and as soon as the helmet covered his face, he felt better. He could breathe properly again and the pain stopped. "That was so weird!"

"What was it?"

"I don't know..." He described the sensations he felt to TRON.

"I have a theory, would you risk testing it out with me?" the program asked.

"Uh, sure."

"I'll activate the shields. After that, take your armor off."

"You got it."

TRON did just that and this time when Sora took his armor off, he felt nothing.

Sora scratched at his head in thought. "So...whatever's going on out there...affects me if I'm not protected?"

"It seems that way. Perhaps it's to be expected. After all, even Darkness would have an effect on you without you wearing protection."

"Yeah, I guess so," the brunette sighed as he collapsed into the captain's chair. "So while the shields are down, I need to wear my armor. Great. I guess I can wear it to conserve power. We'll just have to have the shields on when I sleep, which I guess we should be doing anyway."

"Affirmative."

Sora felt around in his satchel for his other supplies. He frowned as he felt around his personal food supply. Thankfully he was fed well on his last mission, so he didn't have to delve too much into the food he brought with him, but he only had enough for maybe a month and then he'd have to use the reserves that were in storage down below. He wasn't too worried. If rationed properly, the food in the storage bay could last him a year, easily. But they were foods that could be preserved on the shelf...canned foods, freeze-dried and the like, stuff he'd like to avoid if at all possible. "Why did I pack my ship with food I don't like?" he asked himself.

"At least you packed food at all," the program chuckled.

"Oh, yeah I guess," Sora chuckled. He was so deep in thought he almost forgot TRON could hear him. "But it's okay!" he again said out loud. "I have enough food for a year, but I don't plan to be here that long! Right, TRON?"

"Right!"

Grinning and full of determination, Sora popped some popcorn and got comfortable in the captain's chair, turning on the shields so he can take his armor off to eat. "Let's get started!"

Sora leaned back in his chair, munching popcorn as he caught glimpses of all the fluttering visions outside the window and on the badly connected television screens in front of him, TRON also assisting in keeping a look out. Most of the things he was seeing were pretty mundane. It was like watching a hundred tv channels at once...the most boring channels you could think of, such as "Watching the Paint Dry" channel, or literally "Grass Growing". But maybe that was a good thing. Nothing wrong with peaceful scenes, he decided. After all, that's what they're fighting for every day. It was nice to look into all these different windows and not see heartless stomping about, or not yet, anyway. He even cracked a smile as he caught sight of a group of kids walking to school in their fresh-pressed uniforms. "Jeez, high school feels so long ago now."

"Do you miss it?" TRON asked.

"Not really. Well, I take that back. I had fun. I could've done without the homework, though."

"I remember," TRON laughed. "You hated writing term papers."

"I hated ALL of the homework!" Sora laughed.

The minutes ticked by and Sora was quickly running out of popcorn, now taking to sucking the salt off of the un-popped kernels as he tried not to let his mind wander too much. He was starting to see a few familiar places, such as what MUST have been Agrabah because all he saw was sand.

"Sora!" TRON called out. "One of them is coming this way!"

"Wha--!?" Sora sat up and immediately bopped his shoulder plate to activate his keyblade armor. The moment of hesitation prevented him from reaching the steering wheel in time and he looked up just in time to see a "vision" fluttering over his ship to engulf it in the span of a breath. Remembering Bob's warning, Sora sat extremely still as everything became dark. Like before when he had his armor off, he felt this pulling sensation at his skin and something akin to white noise filled his ears. He clenched his eyes closed as his senses were overwhelmed. He wondered if he even dared breathe as everything began to feel cold. Soon he couldn't even feel the seat beneath him. He could no longer hear the ship's gauges or even TRON in front of him.

When he dared to open his eyes again, he found himself floating above what must be Wonderland. He'd recognize that hedge maze anywhere. What he didn't expect to see was Alice crying in the dark woods surrounded by all sorts of bizarre creatures. It was like he was there but he also wasn't. His own body was fuzzy, like a picture losing its clarity, but he didn't dare move to make any further observations about himself. Bob told him if he waited and didn't move the vision would disappear on its own. But that was proving hard to do as he wanted nothing more than to console Alice as she wept about her current plight. But as quickly as it came, the vision of Alice disappeared and Sora found himself back in his ship.

He clutched the armrests of the captain's chair for a few moments as he tried to calm his breathing, his eyes darting about as he tried to confirm that he was in fact clear of the vision that he just endured.

"Are you alright, Sora?" TRON asked.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine," Sora swallowed hard and sat up straighter in his chair before leaning down to pick up the popcorn bowl he dropped. "I made a mess."

"Don't worry, I won't tell Riku," the program joked.

"Heh, thanks," Sora chuckled as he haphazardly swept the spilled kernels into the bowl with his hand while trying to keep his eyes on the monitors. "Let's not do that again until we find the right one. That wasn't fun at all."

"Roger that."

As the minutes turned to hours, Sora let out a long yawn, his head resting on his fist as he continued to stare out the window. He couldn't get the vision of Alice out of his mind and how she cried about not taking her own advice. "Me too, Alice. Me too," he muttered.

"Sora?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking out loud. You know, I didn't even want to stop to look at this damn space hole, but I wanted to map it so nobody else would run into it. I should've took my own advice and kept going."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Sora. You were trying to be responsible. This could've happened to anybody."

"Yeah, I guess I should be glad it wasn't one of my friends stuck in here," the brunette shrugged. "Riku would probably have an easier time of this, though. He's much more patient than I am."

"It probably will get boring after a while," TRON admitted, already very familiar with Sora's attention span or lack thereof.

"It's okay, I can take it. I once spent a whole month stuck inside my house during monsoon season!" he declared proudly.

"Oh really?" the program laughed, not having the heart to point out that this probably wasn't the same.

"Yeah, it rained so hard the streets were flooded. Mom wouldn't even let me go see Riku. Neither of us were in school yet, either. So it was sooooo boring." A smile crept up on his face. "But then one day, Riku snuck out of his house and used his wagon and a big stick to get through the water with a giant umbrella over top of him to keep from getting wet. He got in so much trouble. But it was okay because he got to spend the night with us."

"That does sound like something Riku would do. He cares about you very much."

"Yeah," Sora grinned fondly but then his smile fell. "I hope he's not too worried. He's probably heard about what happened by now."

* * *

As the days dragged on, Riku and the others were firing all cylinders in an effort to find Sora. Launching more gummi satellites seemed to be their best bet, but they weren't easy to make. Though he felt terrible for asking, Riku found himself going to San Fransokyo to ask the Big Hero 6 team for help. It took a lot of time negotiating with the king on the matter, considering sharing gummi block technology might be considered breaking world order, but gummi blocks fell from the sky just like any other rock, so Riku didn't see why they couldn't share that knowledge with them. After Mickey agreed, Riku took a large supply of the blocks and presented them to Hiro's team who were FASCINATED by the materials, to say the least. Of course, they were more than happy to help if it meant looking for Sora, but now having some new things to experiment with was more than a fair trade-off.

The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee also lent their expertise and Ansem's researchers lent their ears to help moderate all of the new satellite activity. But as the days turned into weeks without so much as a blip from Sora, Riku grew increasingly impatient, irritable even. In between satellite launches, he spends his time in Master Yen Sid's library looking for any clues that might help. Naminé was a frequent companion as a Keeper of Knowledge in training, often exchanging encouraging smiles with Riku as they both tended to whatever they were researching.

One day, she found Riku sitting on the floor surrounded by a pile of tomes regarding space enigmas, both fictional and factual and it looked like he was a hair's width away from throwing the next book in frustration at not finding any answers about the mysterious thing that swallowed Sora up. He looked like he was in serious need of cheering up. But what could she say that would help, really? She hadn't seen him this sad since Sora was asleep for a year. No...this was worse. At least before Riku knew where Sora was. She knelt down beside him with her own books, carefully tucking the hem of her dress beneath herself as she did so. "Hey there."

"Hey," Riku attempted to greet her but he lacked any enthusiasm as he did so, barely even able to lift his head to look at her.

"So you're even looking at the astrology books this time?"

"Yeah. Not much help."

She couldn't help grinning a little. "Did you really expect to find anything in there?"

Riku let out a quiet snicker. "No, I guess not. I guess I just wanted something else to look at."

"I can understand that. The history that I'm looking through is fascinating, but every now and then I find myself preferring to look at fairy tales instead."

The silverette let a small smile tilt his lips. "Sora likes those too. I mostly like reading them with him."

"You know, you two remind me of a fairy tale I found about a month ago. I'm surprised I'm just now thinking of it, actually."

"Sora says a lot of tales remind him of us," Riku chuckled.

"That might be true, too. But no, I mean really specifically."

The keyblade master raised an eyebrow. "How specifically?"

"You even share the same names as the characters!" she giggled.

Riku stared blankly for a moment before letting out a laugh. "That's a pretty big coincidence but I also wouldn't be surprised. Our names are kinda...you know."

"Hehe. What were you named for, Riku?"

"My father thought giving me a strong name would keep me down to earth, I guess. Sora was named because his mother said looking at the sky made her happy. Plus with those eyes of his, how could he not be named after the sky?"

Naminé smiled as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "That's something I never asked Kairi about, too. She's from Radiant Garden, a world without a sea to speak of, and yet she's named after it."

"Yeah, I never asked her about that either. But then again, she probably wouldn't remember."

"That's true."

"So are you going to tell me about this fairy tale of yours or...?"

"Oh yes! It's just that, it's about a King with black hair who falls in love with the god of the sky. They spend one night together, only for the king to find out that the handsome boy was not just the god of the sky, he WAS the sky and thus had to leave. But before he left, he gives the king a silver crown made of stars. It turns the king's hair the color of starlight so the god of the sky can find him anywhere."

"A crown of silver, you say?"

"Oh...wow. I didn't think that deep into it. I was just thinking about your hair. It's such a pretty color."

"Thanks, I got it from my grandmother. I'm the only one in my family with it, though. My grandfather used to joke that my grandmother came from the sky, you know."

"He did?" Naminé giggled. "Do you think it was true?"

"He used to say "Well, she never told me I was wrong!" as if that made it true," Riku chuckled.

The blonde was pleased to see Riku smiling. He seemed to be cheering up. "Well maybe it really was true."

"Yeah, maybe. So...does the king get to see the sky god again?"

Naminé's posture stiffened as she averted her gaze. "He does...but the story doesn't have a happy ending."

Riku straightened up. "It doesn't?"

"No...it's more than a fairy tale. It's a creation story, I guess you could call it. It explains how the world fell to darkness and how the worlds were created as we know them today, or rather an interpretation of it. There's no way of knowing if it's true."

"I see. Could I...see this story?" he asked.

"Are you sure? It might just make you sad," Naminé warned.

"Hey, I'm already down. Can't get any worse," Riku pointed out.

"I guess not..." Naminé admitted cautiously before standing up. "I'll get it for you."

"Thanks," he smiled appreciatively.

After a few moments of rifling, Naminé found the old book and handed it to Riku. It wasn't a very big book, almost the thickness of a magazine with a paper-thin black leather cover. It could've easily been mistaken for an old file. Flipping through it carefully, he could see the print was hand-written and there were even a few ink-painted illustrations. He opened it to the first picture he saw: a half-human half-eel god amidst a sky bedazzled with stars and bright blue eyes descending upon a king standing on a beach. "It's so old," he commented.

"It is," Naminé nodded. "It's strange, though. The story that's written says that the relationship between the sky god and the king was only known between them and one other person, who perished. So who wrote the story?"

Riku let out a half-hearted chuckle. "That's the mystery of fairy tales, I guess. Thanks for the suggestion, Naminé. I'll have it returned soon."

She smiled and rested a hand on Riku's shoulder. "Keep it for as long as you need. And...I hope..."

"It's okay, really. I'll be fine," Riku assured her so she wouldn't have to say it. "I know we'll find him soon."

"Right."

* * *

The weeks dragged on and Sora still hadn't seen any visions that seemed viable. What he had noticed is that time seemed to pass strangely here, but he wasn't sure if it was because of where they were or if it was just how he felt about it.

They had fallen into a couple of visions by mistake, but as Bob had said, it might be unavoidable. Most were pretty bland. Some were familiar. It was almost painful being sucked into a vision in the first place, but when he recognized one particular place that he'd seen in his nightmares, his chest felt incredibly tight. A city with tall buildings lit at night, one building in particular standing out prominently with a giant red 104 lit in front of it. When he came back out, he had to rip his helmet off and turn on the shields to catch his breath.

"Everything okay?" TRON asked. It clearly wasn't, but he didn't know a better way to ask.

"I know that place...kind of," Sora tried to explain but words were escaping him at the moment. "It's...never mind."

"Maybe you should take a break. You haven't gotten up in four hours," the program reminded him.

"It can't have been that long already!" Sora huffed. "You sure you're not just saying that because you're worried about me?" he asked cheekily.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Sora," he smiled gently. "I'm not programmed to."

"If you say so~" the brunette snickered. "I'm just teasing. But really, I'm okay. Have you really been keeping count this whole time?"

"Of course. I know you didn't ask me to, but I thought it'd be helpful to keep track of things."

"Right. I'm kinda glad. But don't tell me how long we've been here. I don't think I want to know."

"Roger that."

Sora smiled and turned his attention back to the window. "It's really like watching paint dry, isn't it?"

"I don't know, I think the one with the flying elephant was interesting," TRON commented. "There's no way that should work."

"That HAD to be Dumbo. I found him in a summon gem when I first got the keyblade," Sora recalled. "I'd shrink really small so I could ride on his hat."

"That's...wow."

Sora chuckled. "Yeah."

"Incoming vision!"

"Shit! AGAIN!?" The brunette hissed, quickly flipping his helmet back on before another vision fluttered down and descended upon them. They haven't had two this close together before. He shut his eyes tightly as he felt everything get cold again and behind his eyelids everything seemed to get dark.

He could hear the faraway sounds of clashing weapons. Steel on steel and thunderclaps in the sky. He cautiously peeled his eyes open and let out a gasp as he saw Kingdom Hearts looming in the sky casting a pale light like the moon over a battlefield; the Keyblade Graveyard. Beneath the light of Kingdom Hearts, hundreds, if not thousands, of keyblade wielders clashed, the hearts of the fallen drifting up into the air in large quantities.

_No, this can't be..._

The tight feeling in his chest was back and the pulling sensation at his skin felt ten times worse than before as he witnessed the devastation continue. _Why don't they stop? Aren't they all on the same side?_ He wanted to scream. He wanted to just jump down and tell them all to stop. But he couldn't move and he couldn't make a sound. This wasn't his place. He could only watch and pray for it to end.

When it ended and he found himself back on the ship, Sora wanted nothing more than to be sick. "There were so many...and they were so young!" he choked out as he finally let the tears stream down his face.

"Sora..."

"I just don't understand," he cried as he angrily fisted the tears away from his face, his helmet once again discarded. "They're keyblade wielders! Why would they use their weapons on each other!? That's not what they're meant for!"

"I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure."

"No, we NEED to find out. If we're to have more keyblade wielders in the future, we need to know how this happened so that it won't ever be repeated. It CAN'T be repeated," the keyblade master stated firmly before standing up. "I'm going to grab something to eat."

"I'll keep a look out," TRON assured him getting a little wave of thanks before the young man hopped down the hatch to go to the kitchen.

Though he was in the kitchen, Sora didn't grab any food. Rather he dug around in the cabinet for a bottle of water, but he found none. Instead he found an empty thermos to cast a small water spell into to fill it up and chugged it down greedily before gripping the edge of the countertop as he tried to calm his still rapidly beating heart. How many more of these will he have to endure? "And Bob acts like he comes here for fun...this place really sucks."

"Incoming Vision!" TRON shouted from above.

"AGAIN!?" He shouted in frustration before putting his helmet back on and re-bracing his hands against the countertop. This time it was even scarier than before because now he's not sitting. He willed his feet to stay perfectly planted as he prepared for impact. The kitchen disappeared and he heard the sounds of a bustling city in ears before a wall of graffiti came into view and somebody very familiar walked into his line of sight, a boy with orange hair, headphones, and a purple shirt.

_Neku?_

He met Neku in the sleeping worlds during the Mark of Mastery exam. Was this his real home world? He resisted the urge to call out to his friend and greet him, elated to see a familiar face. But then another boy walked into his view, somebody he also recognized.

_Joshua! Wait...what's he...?_

He watched on in horror as Joshua points a gun at Neku and pulls the trigger. Shots rang out like thunder in his ears and as quickly as the vision came, it was gone.

Sora fell to his knees, his body shaking as he struggled to hold down the water he just drank. "He...that can't be right...that can't be..."

"Sora!" TRON shouted from the cockpit.

"JUST GIVE ME A SECOND!" Sora shouted back, flinching from his own harshness as he clutched at his head. "Just please...give me a second."

. . .

The nights...or rather Sora's sleep time...were not much better than his waking moments. When he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, he'd turn on the shields and turn in to sleep, leaving TRON to keep an eye on things while he rested. He had hoped if nothing else he'd be greeted with pleasant dreams to distract from his current reality, maybe even see Riku. But each time he was disappointed and instead taunted with nightmares of the things he's witnessed. For every awful vision, the nightmares grew increasingly worse. His six hour rests dwindled to four hours and then to two. Now instead of having restful sleep, he was taking frequent naps, which only served to irritate him further.

He was convinced Darkness might have something to do with it, not just the visions. After all, Darkness had threatened him with nightmares before if he didn't release the seal on it in his heart. But he had Riku to keep those threats at bay. Now, it seems Riku can't reach him here and Darkness might be making good on its promise.

So the next time he decided to attempt a deep sleep, Sora dove into his own heart. Though he was happy to feel the warm sands beneath his feet in the play island representation of his heart, he couldn't let himself enjoy it, stomping past it in favor of the secret cave beside the waterfall where the door of Darkness's prison resided. He knocked on it angrily. "Explain yourself!"

_We don't have to._

"You most certainly do!" Sora shouted angrily. "You're stuck in this hellscape with me! The least you can do is keep your doom and gloom to yourself!"

_You assume we're the cause of your nightmares?_

"Well who else??" Sora spat back.

_You're weak._

"What did you just say?" the brunette growled.

_If your heart is that fragile, just use the χ-blade._

Sora took a step back. "What?"

_The χ-blade can tear holes through time and space, which is essentially what the Void already is. What's one more to get you home?_

"Yeah right. I am NOT using that thing. You just keep those great ideas to yourself!" Sora huffed about to turn around leave.

_You'll never find your way out by just waiting._

"Yes, I will. I'll hear Riku calling for me and I'll know the way. You'll see! In the meantime, you better stop messing with my head!"

. . .

When Sora next awoke, it wasn't because of nightmares this time, but rather many alarms were going off upstairs. But they weren't the blaring alarms he had come to expect. It was the sound of the radar! He scrambled up the ladder and looked out the window. A satellite just barely passing by the ship!

"What the heck is that!?" he asked TRON as he pressed his hands against the glass to look.

"Analyzing now. It appears to be a gummi satellite, the kind that powers the gummi network! There's a wifi signal coming from it!"

"THERE IS!?" Sora scrambled to grab his phone off the charging station and quickly turned the wifi back on. Sure enough, he was getting two bars of signal! He scrambled to pull up his applications, his messages, anything! His phone started filling up with message notifications as the texts started piling in. He hovered his thumb over the text application just as TRON called out for him.

"Sora! It's drifting away! You won't have much time!"

Sora bit his lower lip and held the phone away from himself to snap a quick picture before opening Kingstagram. It was the best thing he could think of to contact everybody at once. Very quickly he uploaded the photo he just took and sent his thumbs flying over the screen to type as fast as he possibly could.

Im ok. Dont look for me.

He then hit send and waited anxiously as the rotating symbol on the screen indicated everything was uploaded while he clenched the phone tightly in his hands. "Why did I send a picture? I'm so stupid. It's not going to upload in time!"

TRON said nothing. Both waited in anticipation. With a DING the phone indicated the message had been uploaded. TRON expected to see a look of relief on Sora, but the young man didn't look too happy as he collapsed into his chair.

"Sora?"

"I did what was best," he simply explained.

* * *

Riku heard a ring come from his phone and fumbled around on the nightstand. He was back at the treehouse with Rox the cat sleeping heavily on his chest, making the reach difficult. He didn't even know why he was bothering reaching for it, but he was already awake, so why not? With the barest tips of his fingers, he managed to nudge the phone off the nightstand and into his hand. From there, he clicked the screen back on and winced as the light of the phone's screen nearly blew out his pupils.

"They really need to come up with a dark mode for this thing," Riku grumbled as he squinted at the notification he just got. It was a kingstagram notification...from Sora?

"SORA!?" he shot up, nearly sending Rox flying who meowed loudly as he flopped off of Riku's chest. He paid the howling feline no mind though as he hurried to scroll through kingstagram to find Sora's post. What he found made his brow furrow in confusion. It was definitely Sora, he recognized the pajama bottoms he was wearing, but other than that, he couldn't make out much else. Half the picture was digitally scrambled and the text read nothing but "Im ok. Dont look for me."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" he shouted angrily, tossing the blankets off of himself. "What's he playing at!?" he growled as he haphazardly tossed on his clothes to run to the gummi ship. He was going straight to Disney Castle to see what other information they could get from the gummi network. There has to be more to the message than this!


	7. Radio Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku is introduced to one of the other Rescue Rangers who tells him about The Void while they work to decipher Sora's kingstagram post. Sora tries to keep it together as he's thrown through Vision after Vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Dark Road Chapter 1 spoilers.

At the gummi ship hangar, Riku was frustrated to find Disney Castle's inhabitants were very much still asleep. Chip and Dale have made little beds next to the computers to keep an ear out for any incoming radio activity and were snoring quietly with tiny little nightcaps covering their heads. Riku inched closer, torn between letting them sleep and just screaming for them to wake up.

"Don't wake them!" A female voice warned him from somewhere on his left, though it wasn't quiet either.

His eyes darted around to look for the source and landed on a lady field mouse dressed in a purple jump suit with goggles perched on a head of sandy blond hair. "The name's Gadget. Nice to meet you!" she offered her hand.

"Uh...Master Riku," he answered automatically, carefully taking the offered hand between his thumb and forefinger to give a gentle shake.

"So YOU'RE Riku! His majesty told me you might be storming in here. Don't worry, I got things covered."

Riku blinked rapidly. "So...you know about the post already?"

"The post isn't important," she waved him off as she jumped across the keyboard before him, tapping on keys left and right.

"I beg to differ--" Riku tried to argue but a beep from the computer as she hit the enter key interrupted him. Sora's mysterious kingstagram post popped up on screen as well as what appeared to be a text file full of code, but it wasn't anything Riku could understand.

"We got a ping on Sora's ship, Excalibur, and a data dump from TRON," she explained.

"A data dump?" Riku blinked.

"Sora may not be the best at sending messages, but thankfully TRON is," she grinned, seeing the lost look on Riku's face. "TRON can't directly communicate to the servers because he and Sora are somewhere where the gummi network can't reach them. So when they made contact with one of our satellites for a brief moment, TRON uploaded everything he could so that he could communicate with us himself. The only way we can know what the data says though is if TRON himself tells us what it is. So I sent the data dump to the datascape for TRON to use directly. We should hear from him soon."

"Wait...I don't understand. You're going to have to break it down for me," Riku clutched at his head tiredly. She was saying so much and he could barely follow any of it.

The lady mouse deflated and sighed before she tried to explain it a little slower. "TRON is in your phones."

"Yes."

"And he's in Ansem's computer."

"That I do know."

"Okay, the TRON in your phones is the same as the one in Ansem's computer, in his datascape. As long as your phones can communicate with the datascape which is connected to the gummi network, the TRONs are the same. You still following me?"

"Yes."

"Okay, but if your phones go offline, the TRON in your phones is no longer the same TRON in the datascape. He's not up to date with himself. He has limited capabilities. Whatever TRON you got is the TRON you get until he can recommunicate with himself."

"But most of himself is in the computer, right? So how much capability does he really have if he's offline while he's a phone app?"

"Not much," Gadget answered bluntly. "TRON is a fascinating program and can do many things, but even he has his limits. But, the TRON that has awareness in Sora's phone seems to have uploaded himself into the ship's computer, according to the ping we got. He then made a data file of his--" she saw Riku getting lost again. "Think of it as him sending a letter with his memories up to this point in time to himself. Once TRON in Ansem's lab reads it, he'll be able to update us...I hope."

"You hope?" Riku repeated.

"It's just...a lot of it looks corrupted. I don't know how much he'll be able to get from it," she explained.

"Just like his kingstagram post," Riku deflated, holding up his phone to look at the half-digitized picture again. "Why would he say don't look for me?" he wondered out loud.

"Well that's obvious, isn't it?" Gadget asked, now sitting on the space bar like a bench. "He's in a dangerous place. Anybody else who tries to look for him in there will need rescuing too."

"Wait, do YOU know where he's trapped?" Riku's eyes widened.

She shook her head. "I have a really good theory. Nothing else."

"Hey, at this point, I'm all ears," Riku huffed as he pulled up one of the office chairs to sit in and leaned in so the were almost eye level.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "It's been long written off as a fairy tale at this point."

Riku smirked. "In my line of work, I've found it's wise to take more fairy tales to heart."

Gadget smiled. "Well, I'm a mouse of science. But in my space travels, I have come across some things I can't explain. There one minute and gone in the next. It's an enigma I've followed for years but with very few answers. I think it's responsible for Sora's disappearance.

"And what might that be?" Riku asked cautiously, the suspense already killing him.

"They call it The Void."

"They?"

"The animals, of course. Humans don't notice much of anything."

"No, I guess they don't..." Riku agreed with slight trepidation, unsure if he should be offended or not.

"It's a hole in space that swallows everything. One way in, no way out, as far as I know. They say it's as old as the universe itself. In fact, there's a story behind it."

"Dare I ask?" Riku smiled.

"Why stop now?" Gadget grinned.

The silverette couldn't help chuckling. "What's the story?"

"Long ago in the age of fairy tales, there was a mystical being who ruled as the god of the skies. They say one day he was torn from the sky and The Void is the hole left behind."

"Torn...from the sky? Why?"

"It's a tragic tale," Gadget sighed, propping her chin on her palm. "Supposedly he died protecting somebody he fell in love with."

Riku's eyes widened. This sounded very similar to the story Naminé told him about. He dug into his jacket pocket and pulled the thin volume out to look at it.

"Well, anyway, I'm going to get back to analyzing the data. You should sleep," she told him.

"How can I sleep now?" Riku huffed.

"Fine, don't sleep," she shrugged. "Get some fresh air for the both of us. I'll give you a holler when I'm ready for ya."

Riku conceded with a nod. "Thanks. I'll be back soon."

She waved him off and went back to scurrying across the keys and Riku left her to walk the castle gardens. The moon was still high in the sky and the night air was warm. Nights like this, he'd be out on the deck stargazing with Sora. With a soft grunt, he took a seat in the grass and turned on his gummi phone light to read the sky god's tragic tale at long last. He had been putting it off since Naminé lent it to him, not eager to learn about the deity's fate but according to Gadget, it seems this story might have a clue to Sora's whereabouts. The coincidences were stacking up and it was time to face the music.

The tale starts off simple enough. A raven-haired king with a fondness for stargazing meets the god of the sky one fateful night. The god descends to earth in a human form in a robe made of the fabric of time and space. The two hit it off and fall in love, something that Riku wasn't used to seeing in the fairy tales he grew up with. It's a bittersweet meeting, however, as the god of the sky has to return to where he came from, but first he adorns the king with a crown made of starlight so he can find him wherever he goes. It transforms the king's hair silver and dawn arrives, the king is left alone.

With a hard swallow, Riku turns the page. After all, this story has two parts. However, this next part speaks of an ominous prophecy. "It has been foretold eons ago that once a man discovered he was a god, man would want to become god, and the age of fairy tales would end." Riku blinked after he read the line aloud. As he read on, it became more and more obvious that the king of the land that the sky god fell in love with was definitely not a mortal man. He was a god who believed he was a mortal king, who loved his people so much that none suffered under his rule...or the passage of time. Centuries of living with nothing to strive for caused unrest amongst the people. They yearned for something else and began to envy the gods and goddesses that made up their world.

So when the sky god and the king of land were reunited once more, a man who bore witness to their friendship became enraged and attacked the king, accusing him of being a traitor. The king was too kind-hearted to defend himself properly, instead pleading for the other to come to his senses, but it was too late. The attacker transformed out of the darkness unleashed from his heart and threatened the king's life. It was then that the sky god rushed to the king's aid and took a fatal blow.

Riku wiped at his eyes, shaking his head as he attempted to mentally block out the names on the page. "Why...why did he have to be called Sora?"

The story continues to say that King Riku in his grief took Sora's body to the cliffs where Kairi, the goddess of the sea, watched over them. The people fought each other as the bright sky bled into perpetual night. The earth cracked and fell apart around them as they squabbled and fought bitter wars, one side blaming the other for their plight, their hearts falling to darkness until only the light in the hearts of children remained. King Riku, the god of the earth, called out to Kairi and pleaded for her aid. The goddess took pity and drowned the earth. These became the waters of sleep. The light in the hearts of children survived to become the worlds as they are now, all separate beneath one big sky.

"So there's the realm of darkness...the realm of sleep...and the realm of light..." Riku thought out loud. When falling into darkness, it's like drowning. He never thought about it this literally before, but things were starting to make too much sense.

"What I still don't have are answers," he sighed as he slipped the thin book back into his pocket. "A hole in space where the god of the sky used to be...a god who ruled over time AND space. A god named Sora..." He couldn't help it when a laugh escaped him. Just the thought of Sora being in charge over something so intricate...it made him smile. Then again, it too almost made too much sense. "His heart's connections are many...as numerous as there are stars in the sky. Who better to rule over the skies, really?"

He turned the phone over in his hands to turn the light off and pulled up Sora's latest kingstagram post one more time. It's been three months and all he gets to see is Sora's lower half...in pajamas no less. How he longed to hear his voice. But all he had was Sora's last messages; the ones he left before he was sucked in by whatever this Void thing is. Despite himself, he loaded the voice mail app and scrolled down to pull them up. With his knees pulled up to his chest, he played Sora's last words to him once more.

"They prolly jelly." he giggled. "WAIT, I'm supposed to leave a message. Shit. Um let me do that over!"

A tear escaped Riku's eye, unable to not laugh as he imagined Sora frantically redialing.

"Uh, Riku! Ignore that last message! I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way home. Uh...I miss you, too. Can't wait to see you. And..." A pause. "I love you."

Click.

"I love you too," he whispered back as his shoulders shook, burying his face into his knees as he played the messages once more.

* * *

_"Promise me if things get bad, we'll run!"_

_"What happened was not your fault."_

Sora had fallen into yet another vision. Two teenage keyblade wielders in Scala ad Caelum were talking, one of which he recognized as young Master Xehanort. But this vision was hopping all over the place. One second the dark-haired boy he was talking to was talking about running and the next they're in a graveyard. There are flowers in front of four graves.

The vision stuck with Sora long after they've left it. For the longest time he said nothing. He cursed the fact they couldn't dodge these things as he's forced over and over to see things he didn't want to while possibly being distracted from the ones he DID want to see. But he had no choice. If they tried to dodge and fell into the vision anyway, their ship would be moving and who knows what could happen? It was better to just stay absolutely still. This last one hit differently than the others. It wasn't just one moment in time, but two. He hadn't seen any visions like that yet. "It's like Master Yen Sid said...they lost people they cared about." He could relate...young Xehanort couldn't bring back his friends like he could. He had to live with their loss.

Sora sat trembling in his chair for several more long minutes. What-ifs and whys racing through his mind. Finally the words began to spill out, but no more comprehensible than they were in his own head. "I feel...I feel like I'm supposed to be learning something from this. But what...I just don't know."

"Sora..."

The brunette swallowed hard and removed his helmet to dab at his forehead with a handkerchief to rid himself of the cold sweat that was running into his eyes. "There's so much here...it makes sense why Bob hangs around but how does HE find his way out?"

"My hypothesis based on what we know about his character is that he may not care where he ends up or how he messes things up," TRON stated in a voice that almost sounded bitter.

Sora couldn't help smiling, "You could be right."

"Incoming vision!"

"URGH!" Sora growled as he quickly re-equipped his helmet.

This time he saw himself lying in bed...in the Land of Departure. _What...?_ Suddenly Ven walks into the room, his eyes gleaming yellow in the dark. Sora's voice catches in his throat as he watches his friend straddle his waist while he sleeps and then put his hands around his throat. He resists the urge to cry out as he watched himself struggle in the blonde's grasp, horrified as the other forced his mouth on him, growling as he kept him pinned down while he screamed and cried.

He wanted to throw up. His stomach twisted in knots as he clenched his fists until they felt numb. When was this going to end!?

Finally, it was over and he threw off his helmet to stomp down to the lower quarters to empty his stomach into the toilet. He hadn't eaten much, so he mostly heaved water, but every time the image of what he just saw flashed through his mind, he retched again. When there was nothing left, he crawled into his bunk to collapse.

"TRON! I need a break!" he called up to the program.

"Copy that!" he replied and the ship hummed as he raised the shields.

Sora immediately dismissed his armor when the coast was clear and allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness. But there was no rest for his weary mind. Not yet. First he had a bone to pick with Darkness.

"What did you do to me!?" he shouted at the door that locked Darkness away in the secret cave of the play island that represented the depths of his heart. He knew that was Darkness taking control of Ven. He KNEW something was up!

_We needed your fear, your hurt, your darkness to revive Vanitas, the one we were to inhabit next. But this time, Vanitas had a will of his own and escaped us before he could be completed._

Sora grit his teeth as he struggled to remember. He can recall a deep-seeded feeling of helplessness, something he has forgotten. What Darkness did was very similar to how he helped Vanitas, but worse...so much worse. Vanitas ASKED for help. He was rough, but he never went out of his way to REALLY harm Sora. Darkness...Darkness just took.

_You were weak then, too._

"SHUT UP!"

_You cried._

Sora chose to ignore that last statement. Clearly Darkness was trying to rile him up, but to what means he didn't know. "One thing I don't understand, since you're feeling so chatty. Why does Vanitas still look like me? I took back the piece of my heart that I gave Ventus. It doesn't make any sense."

_It makes perfect sense. When Vanitas separated from Ventus a second time, he was made of YOUR fear that we took from you._

Sora frowned. Darkness was right. Even after Vanitas separated and ran away, he still came to Sora on his own accord and asked for his help in his own Vanitas way, which still involved consuming Sora's fear and anger until he felt whole again. So according to Darkness, Vanitas is made of Ventus's darkness but his body is made of Sora's negative emotions.

"This is messed up," Sora huffed and slid to the ground, crossing his arms and legs in a grumpy posture. "Why did I even ask?" He gleans over the drawings on the rock walls and lets out a heavy sigh. "What's to stop me from just opening a door to light or a darkness corridor?" he asked out loud, not just to himself but hopefully to Darkness, too. He would take any offered insight at the moment.

_You'd be falling right into his trap. This is a game of patience. You may have strong connections to the light and everybody you meet, but in here, you are separate from them in every way. You don't know what's going on out there or where or when. If you merely make a portal out of here, you could end up where you don't want to be, or even cause a paradox._

* * *

Riku stirred in the soft grass of the Disney Castle courtyard, having fallen asleep with his gummi phone clenched tightly to his chest. His heart ached to see Sora so much that he played his husband's last messages over and over until he could no longer keep his eyes open.

At least in dreams, there was somebody to give him a small comfort. Before him in a field of grass surrounded by fireflies was a vision of Sora traced out of starlight. A familiar dream, one he welcomed very much as he tore through the grass to embrace the dream sprite version of the one he loved most. It's a bittersweet reunion. After all, the Sora in his dreams is not connected to the true Sora, having been born out of the loneliness Riku felt when Sora had been asleep for a year in his memory pod. But even so, his smile lit him up inside just like Sora would. It would have to be enough.

The sprite can't speak. He can only brush his translucent fingers through Riku's hair as he held him close.

"I miss him so much," Riku mumbled into the other's shoulder. "Months and not a word and then suddenly he says not to look for him. What am I supposed to do?"

The star sprite gently pulled away and put his hands over Riku's chest, over his heart. His smile is soft and sympathetic, almost apologetic even.

Riku nodded. "I know. I know but...what if it's not enough? What if I'm not strong enough to wait for him?"

Starlight Sora tilted his head with his mouth turned in a frown as if to say, "Really?" and blew air out of his mouth in a silent PFFT motion. He crossed his arms before throwing them on his hips and leaning forward with an exaggerated expression as if to say Riku was being unbelievable right now.

Riku sighed, but he couldn't help the smile edging on the corners of his lips. The star sprite may be taunting him, but he sure looks cute while doing it. 

The translucent being also sighed and took both of Riku's hands into his own. He held them there for a moment, studying Riku's face before grabbing his left hand specifically and holding it up. Riku let him, bewildered by what the sprite was trying to convey this time, but then he fingered the pretty stone bracelet on his wrist, the white stone glinting in the moonlight.

"You're right...he promised me," Riku conceded. "I know he'll come back. But what should I do in the meantime?"

The other's face lit up in a smile before he let go of Riku's hands and started dashing through the grass, sending fireflies flying through the air in his wake. Riku watched him run around, his arms held out like he was a kid pretending to be an airplane as he ran every which way. "What are you doing?" he laughed.

He ran back to Riku, his hands clutched in front of himself in a ball. He smiled up at him and opened his hands to release a large number of sparkling fireflies who flew from his outstretched palms to escape high into the sky above their heads and join the stars. Sora continued to smile at Riku as the ascending fireflies cast their light upon his sweet face. He thinks he understands now. "Just keep lighting the way...right?"

Starlight Sora flashed a toothy grin and nodded before standing on his toes to leave a soft kiss on Riku's cheek.

* * *

Sora awoke to his mouth feeling dry. Dried tears were caked to his face and his pajama top was soaked through. With a dismissive grunt, he tugged it over his head and tossed it into the corner before climbing up the ladder to retrieve his water bottle from the cockpit, still half-asleep as he fumbled through the dimly-lit area.

"You should sleep a little longer," TRON suggested gently. "You were only out for a couple of hours."

"Yeah...I was just...thirsty..." Sora mumbled hoarsely as he wiped the crust from his eyes. Once he blinked away the sleep, he noticed something floating in the monitors. A green bottle with a letter inside.

"Do you see that?" Sora asked as he walked to the window to see it drifting through space.

"I do," TRON confirmed. "It looks like it's heading for one of the visions.

Sora sat down to grab the controls and turned the ship to face the direction of said vision, not to go through it, but just to watch, like peering through an open window.

"Sora?"

"Look, TRON! It's us!" Sora pointed.

Sure enough, he was seeing a vision of him and Riku in the Realm of Darkness, having just defeated Xemnas, they sat together as they accepted their fate. He watched as the bottle they just saw drifted through the water to land at Riku's feet, a bottle with a letter from Kairi.

Silent tears streamed down Sora's face as he watched with his hands planted against the glass. "I remember...I remember...thinking that as long as I was with Riku that I didn't mind staying in the darkness forever. Just as long as we were together...I didn't care..." he choked. His fingertips dragged and squeaked on the glass as he clenched his fists, his body trembling as he tried to hold back his sobs, but the tears kept coming. They felt lava hot as they dripped down his face, down his chest where his skin ached, stretched tight over bones that were becoming more and more prominent with each passing day.

"We...we were talking about having a family," he cried. "I can't give up now!" he shouted while angrily pounding on the glass. It would be so easy! So easy to go through that vision and just WAIT. Wait until the time would come for him to leave the Realm of Darkness to see Riku. But it wouldn't work. He'd risk ruining everything. There's no way his presence would go undetected for so long while he waited. And plus...would he really be able to stand by and do nothing while he watched his friends die? Would he really be able to just LET things happen as they're supposed to, even if it meant he could save them?

"DAMNIT!" he shouted again, kicking at a box of spare parts as he tore at his hair. "I just...I can't...I can't do this!"

"You can, Sora! Everybody's counting on you to come back. I know you won't let them down."

Sora peered up at the phone on the console, ashamed to look at TRON after his outburst. "Thank you...I'm sorry...I just...feel like I've really bit the big one this time."

"So...a family, you say?"

A grin slowly crept to Sora's face. He chuckled despite himself and wiped at the last of his tears. "Y-yeah," he hiccupped as he moved to sit into the captain's chair. "But don't tell anybody. It's our secret."

"So I'm the first to know? Lucky me!"

"Hehe!" Sora winked. "When I get out of here, we might have to appoint you godfather."

The program laughed. "I'd be honored. But maybe...I should just stick to being their first phone app. How's that?"

Sora snickered. "Uncle TRON!"

"How much time do I have until I should start incorporating nursery rhymes into my database?"

"Not for a few years, yet!" Sora assured him. "But Even told us it's possible. We just have to give him the call."

"That's so exciting. We'll need to get you out of here fast so you can prepare. This also means you need to keep eating. You can't be a dad without a proper dad bod. I'm pretty sure that's a rule."

Sora laughed. "Where did you hear a rule like that?"

"Moogle.com has all kinds of strange articles. I like to read them to learn more about users. But I get the feeling most of them are best forgotten."

"Yeah, probably," the brunette snickered.

"Want to hear about the top 20 ways I read to please your man?" TRON joked.

"Oh like I need help in THAT department!" he laughed. "Unless one of those tips is how to not go missing for months at a time?" Sora smirked.

"I'm afraid not. But there were tips on how to keep your legs silky smooth."

Sora blinked and felt at his scraggly beard growing in. "Think those tips can be applied to one's face?"

"I wouldn't recommend it."


	8. Data

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku learns where Sora is.

Riku awoke to the sounds of birds chirping in the courtyard. His face was damp with dew and his left side hurt from sleeping on it. The dream he just had slipped from his memory just as the night itself had. With a long yawn, he stretched and scratched at his face which was itchy from lying in the grass and the bumps on his skin told him that he had the imprint of several blades of grass on his face. "Great," he muttered. "Grass is so over-rated. At least sand doesn't leave imprints."

With one last yawn, he got to his feet and shook out his legs before getting a quick stretch in and heading back inside. The castle seemed to be busy once again. Brooms were walking this way and that to start their morning chores. Tiny mice were running around with stacks of papers balanced on their heads. He ducked to avoid a troop of parrots with sombreros flying through the main hall and side-stepped out of a lady cow's way as she carried a large serving tray of food in her arms. He never realized how noisy this place could be sometimes. When he made his way back to the gummi hangar it was almost a relief. At least the whirring machines and gears didn't need much dodging. Back in the main computer room, he wasn't too surprised to see Gadget was still at the computer.

"Any news?" he asked her as he sat back in the desk chair that he had occupied before, his arms resting on the backrest as he watched her with interest.

"TRON will be calling us any minute! Have you eaten yet?" she asked without looking at him, still busy hopping away at the keys.

"Have you?" Riku smirked.

"Fair enough," she huffed. "You should ask the brooms to grab us something while we wait."

"I have a granola bar if you want?" he offered.

"A granola bar!?" she stopped and turned to him as if insulted. "You're in a castle with anything you could possibly want and you'd settle for a granola bar!?"

"Okay okay!" he laughed and stood up. "I'll be right back."

After braving the longer than necessary journey to the kitchen, Riku came back with a decent spread for the both of them of toast, bacon, eggs, and breakfast potatoes, unsure of what the gummi engineer's preferences were. Though now that he sat down and thought about it, the answer should've been obvious, but she had no complaints as she munched on a toast triangle and continued browsing over the data on screen and he quietly ate while he watched her.

Suddenly a ring tone came from the computer, startling Riku into almost dropping his plate.

"Wow, jumpy, aren't you?" Gadget shot him a look as Riku scrambled to sit upright again before she hit the button to pick up what was apparently a video call.

Before Riku could even retort, TRON's face appeared on screen and Riku hastily set the plate aside to greet the program properly. "TRON!"

"Good morning, Master Riku! And to you too, Miss Gadget," the program greeted.

"Good morning! Have you had any luck with the data dump I sent you?" Gadget asked, relieving Riku as she cut straight to the chase.

"Yes. It's like you said in your message, though. A small amount of it was corrupted during the transfer. But I've been able to compile most of it properly into a comprehensible state."

"Fantastic! So what have you got?"

TRON paused for a moment. To Riku it looked like he was taking time to think carefully. Usually TRON was pretty prompt with his answers so he wasn't used to seeing him process things this slowly before.

"TRON?" Gadget asked a little impatiently.

"My apologies. The data that was sent is written in a way that only makes sense if you're a program like myself who lives in the Grid. I assume I've sent the message to myself this way in order to transmit as much as I could with what limited time and signal there might've been. I'm trying to think of a way to translate it in a way that users like yourselves would understand," he explained.

"What's not to understand?" Riku asked. "Isn't it like any other programming code?"

"The way that programs perceive their own reality isn't exactly one to one with how users view theirs. The language I used says a lot with very little, like a shorthand or slang with clues that would have no context or meaning unless you were a program."

"I see," Gadget nodded. "Take the time you need."

TRON paused for another moment before he spoke again in an uncertain tone. "It's hard to explain, but in the message, I've compared The Void--"

"WAIT!" Gadget stopped him right there. "So it really is called The Void!?" she asked excitedly.

"That's what the message says," he answered.

Riku watched as the little field mouse quivered with excitement. Her tiny clenched fists were shaking in front of herself as if she wanted to scream with excitement but he wasn't about to give her the chance to distract TRON. "Please, continue," he urged gently.

TRON picked up where he left off, "I've compared The Void to the internet, as in an infinite source of information in one place. To you users, it's information on a screen. However, to us programs, it's like a giant space with windows to all kinds of different worlds, windows we can look into or enter at will. But from the way I phrased it, it seems the windows are randomized and Sora is waiting for the right one."

Riku took a moment to wrap his head around this. A black hole in space with windows to other worlds? It made him think of the keyblade war when they fought against Master Xehanort's duplicates. They used keyhole portals to separate them from each other as well as use them to teleport and attack. Something didn't add up, though. "Why wait?" he asked. "Why not just pick one?" Sora has shown more than once that his heart can lead him out of unknown places easily. Plus, once he's in a world, he can open a pathway to another one either by darkness corridor or a path of light. So what's the issue?

TRON pauses, again processing the data and attempting to translate. The data mentions time stamps and save states. There's a list of statistics, namely probability of repetition, and more slang: the number _i_ and a slash and a zero. _i_ /0. "I think I'm implying that the windows do not all lead to the same timeline. To enter one unwittingly could cause a paradox," he said grimly.

Riku swallowed hard as he felt a heavy weight land in the bottom of his stomach. "What are his odds?" he asked, knowing TRON has probably already calculated them.

"I'm afraid some of the statistical data is corrupted, but if I filled in the calculations for myself...Master Riku, the windows could be infinite...I don't think the numbers matter at this point."

"No, you're right. Sora always finds a way to beat the odds. But how much time does he have?"

"The data says there are enough supplies for the next year, but also notes Sora's the one who counted the rations."

"Oof..." That did NOT make Riku feel any better. But he hopes the data is right. A year to find Sora...or a year for him to find his own way out...can it be done with an infinite number of ways to get lost?

"Master Riku...?" Gadget looked to him with worry.

The man clenched his fists and looked up at the both of them. "He'll make it. I know he will. His heart is tied to ours. We just need to keep lighting the way."


	9. Dream Eater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dream eater connection between Riku and Sora is causing dangerous changes in Riku the longer Sora is away.

The changes were almost unnoticeable at first. Riku was growing increasingly irritable, but that should've been normal. He missed Sora. But in his older and supposedly wiser years, he should be more level-headed. After all, he's a keyblade master. Even in the face of adversity and hardship, he should keep his emotions in check so he can lead and make proper decisions.

For the most part, he's done that. But it was the little things. A loud noise would startle him much more than it used to. If food didn't taste just so, he refused to eat it...or he couldn't bring himself to, even if he wanted to just to be polite. If it was too dark, he felt uneasy. If it was too bright, he squinted and scowled in irritation until somebody drew the shades. If somebody didn't answer his texts in what he deemed a timely manner he immediately assumed the worst. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe he wasn't getting enough sleep. There were so many explanations.

But when he woke up from yet another nightmare, his body slick with sweat and his sheets torn asunder, he found what he really needed was a cold shower. He felt hot and angry and so, so hungry. It was a deep hunger that clawed at him from inside. It was the hunger he felt when he knew Sora was having nightmares. His instincts were shouting at him to tend to the one he's bonded to. Sora's calling for him but he can't answer, and the hunger's just getting worse.

He's unsatisfied and he's angry too, angry at himself; ashamed, even. Ashamed for being unable to fulfill his purpose, or at least his purpose as far as being a dream eater mandated. It hurt so much, and after all these months it kept getting worse.

After his shower, he still felt too hot and made one last attempt to douse his face with cold water from the faucet before he went back to bed. When he looked up again at the mirror, he could see his eyes gleaming pink, even in the fogged up mirror. There shouldn't have been fog. The shower was cold. So how...? His mouth suddenly felt dry and he swallowed, but something felt different about the way his lips rested over his teeth. He put his fingers in his mouth to feel his incisors have grown! Alarmed, he wiped the fog off the mirror to get a closer look.

He looked like he had fangs! Small fangs...but fangs, nevertheless. "That's new..." But as he leaned in to look more closely, they shrank until they looked like his normal teeth again and his eyes faded to cyan, which he knew would be aqua again by morning. "Maybe...I imagined it..." It was a small hope, but not a convincing statement.

As the weeks dragged on, he noticed more things in the middle of the night. Something was happening while he slept. He didn't know what, but he's torn through multiple sets of sheets and he's had to put Sora's pillows away for fear of destroying them too. But not having something around with Sora's scent while he slept seemed to make things worse. He found claw marks on the bed, which he had to sand and re-stain. Said bed had even moved a couple of inches and made drag marks on the floor, which again he had to sand and re-stain. He didn't want Sora to come home to a destroyed bedroom after all.

When he found the herb pots knocked over one morning, he decided to sleep in the den on the yellow monstrosity instead, after he moved out all the breakable things, of course. It felt weird sleeping in a room with practically nothing in it, but what choice did he have? He knew _he_ had to be the cause of the weird things happening in the middle of the night, he just didn't know HOW or WHY.

Then one night he woke up to find his hands felt huge. Rox was yowling loudly in the corner as if he was trying to alert him to something. His skin felt hot. He touched his own arm and felt a texture he didn't recognize but he could feel himself touching it so he knew it was definitely his skin. He hurried to turn on the lights and stumbled forward as he felt something heavy on his lower back that got tangled underneath the large cushion he was sleeping on. "Don't tell me..." he muttered as he pulled himself to his knees, but the voice that left his mouth didn't sound like his. It was...but it was raspy and deep.

He made it to the light switch and winced as the lamp illuminated the room with a harsh light. He could see in the dark, but he would never have believed what he was seeing unless he saw it in the light. His hands were bigger and his nails were black and as sharp as talons. He could see a long purple tail curled upon the floor at his feet with a pattern of pink and yellow diamonds down the spine. His skin was scaly on his forearms and shimmered purple and aqua green as he turned his elbows in the light. The fangs were back and there was something on his upper back, something that actually felt familiar: a pair of bat wings. He imagines they probably look like the ones he sprouts when he dual links with Komory Bat.

He looked at his hands again and tried to remain calm. "I can fix this..."

"Mrow~" Rox meowed from the corner.

"Yeah, it is a little weird. Maybe if I--AAAAAA!!" He cried out and fell to his knees as pain shot throughout his body. His skin felt tight, like it was being torn away! He forced his eyes open as he clutched at himself to see his skin emitting a strange, soft glow that flickered in and out. Before his very eyes the scales appeared to be glitching out, like a fuzzy picture flicking on a television with bad antennae reception. His hands began doing the same thing and every "flicker" caused another wave of pain so intense that curled in on himself and laid in a fetal position on the soft rug while he waited it out. "Haaaaa...Aaaaa...AAAAAA!!!"

It only lasted maybe a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity. When it was over, he was a heaving, sweaty mess on the floor and his skin continued to tingle for several minutes afterward. "Sora...where are you?" he whispered just as he passed out from exhaustion.

It seemed wherever Sora was must be a place where the rules as Riku knew them didn't apply...or rather they were thrown into a blender. After a few more weeks of these bizarre transformations, Riku surmised that The Void must be a mixture of light, darkness, and everything in between, maybe even the realm of sleep. It was the only explanation Riku could think of given what very little they knew about The Void. Hiro had given him some books on theoretical physics regarding research into things such as black holes, worm holes, and interdimensional travel. Apparently they've encountered the latter a few years ago. Riku had a hard time wrapping his head around the logistics, but he had a theory that The Void was like a hole that tore so deep it went through all realms and twisted them together in one spot and if Sora is really trapped in something like that, his transformations might make sense.

Through their connection, if Sora is phasing in and out of realities or realms, Riku might be changing accordingly. So if Sora's phasing through the realm of sleep, Riku's body might be transforming to match, maybe even overcompensating. It was just a theory, but it made some sense...to him at least. But what he didn't understand was the new changes. His eyes changing and his mood swings were one thing, but the other stuff...that was hard to explain. He can only change physically if he links with another dream eater after all, or so he thought. Maybe Sora's dream eaters were reaching out to him too? It seemed very possible, especially when he began noticing the forms were different every night. The fangs were consistent, as were the claws, but other than that he'd have a mishmash of all kinds of things.

He also found that if he slept through the changes, things tended to get broken. Whatever was happening, he needed to be awake or he'd have no control. But being awake was easier said than done. Rox was good at alerting him. Even the crows outside have lent their assistance. But if he didn't want to risk hurting the loyal feline, he needed to find an alternative. So now he sets an alarm for 2 am every night. It seemed to be the time he usually transforms.

But just when he thought he had a handle on things, they got worse. The transformations lasted longer. He found it harder and harder to control these strange, violent urges that had him clawing at the rug. He just something to dig his nails into, ANYTHING! He bit at himself. He just wanted to sink his fangs into nightmares so badly! He screamed and shouted and cursed at anything that came to mind as he curled up on the floor until it stopped and he could go back to sleep again.

He needed it to be warm, so he started piling blankets in the den, mostly the ones that were already shredded. Soon the den was beginning to look like a nest. He even reinforced the windows with plywood, just in case.

Every time it ended, he felt empty, maybe even emptier than before if that were possible. Perhaps what he hated the most, however, was that he was starting to get used to it.

In fact, on nights where it didn't happen, he got worried.

As painful as it was, it had become a comfort to him. His pain meant that Sora was still alive, and so he endured.

No matter how bad it has gotten or how tired he is, when it's all over, he whispers one last thing before he closes his eyes once more.

"Good night, Sora."


	10. Heartbinder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora uses a power he hasn't used in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Starvation

Sora sees hearts are in everything. And when Sora sees them, they become real.

Though he has TRON to keep him company, he thinks about the hearts in other things that keep him company as well. The music box from Riku is one good example. As he holds it in his hands, he can almost feel Riku's heart as if he's right there next to him. Then there are the rings on his fingers, the paopu charm on his phone from Kairi, the satchel at his side from his parents...so many things, and he can feel the hearts of the people he loves through them.

He thinks back to his time in Halloween Town when Sally explained the act of giving and essentially giving a piece of your heart to another. Though he could feel their hearts and their warmth, he couldn't help wishing to see them and hold them close. He thought about summon gems and heartbinders, all the things he's used to summon his friends to his side, or a projection of them, at least, when it comes to heartbinders. The ones that were in charms or stones have long since returned home. TRON was an exception, too, his gummi phone working as a heartbinder for the program. But even so, he's only ever used that power once and that was against BoB. He looked to TRON on the gummi phone screen resting on the charge station of the console.

"You saved me, you know," he murmured quietly.

"Pardon?" the program asked, unsure if this was one of those times where Sora was just thinking out loud or was genuinely trying to start conversation.

Sora shook his head apologetically. "Against BoB," he clarified. "If it weren't for you, we would never have gotten communications back. You saved all of us. And even now, you've saved me."

"Of course, Sora. You're my friend."

"I just can't remember if I've ever thanked you. Like truly thanked you."

"Every day I sense gratitude from you. That's more than enough. As a program meant to serve users, I'm not to expect praise or gratitude. You and the others have truly given me a gift. If anything I should be thanking YOU."

"Thanks for being my friend, TRON." Sora smiled.

"Heh, and thank you for being mine, Sora."

They sit in silence for a little while. This was normal. Energy needed to be conserved. Eyes needed to be focused on what was going on outside the ship. Even with eyes peeled, Sora's mind inevitably wanders again. Summoning inside the ship was risky. There wasn't a lot of space for the friends he had, except maybe Stitch, but the fuzzy blue alien tended to be destructive. Magic needed to be conserved for cure spells to keep him sustained. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about this; tempting himself. Plus what would be the point? It would only be a brief moment, but it would also be potentially long enough to distract him from a possible way out. Would he really risk the chances of literally missing his window of opportunity just for a brief moment with a projection of a friend?

As he continued to stare longingly out the window where he sees a vision of school friends playing, it seemed more and more likely he WOULD take that risk. Whenever he felt tempted, though, he decided it was just better to talk TRON's ear off about a happy memory instead. Reliving these moments made them feel like they were there. Each story or thought was like a spark of warmth in his heart from each connection he had with his friends, their chains of love and protection wrapped around his heart like a warm blanket. But then sometimes, such as with Riku, they squeezed too hard. His heart would ache and the longing would come back. It'd hurt so much that he couldn't stop himself from crying, the salty tears streaming unabated from his eyes as he continued to silently stare out the window.

This has become normal, too. TRON had long since learned not to react every time. He knew what was wrong. So he stopped asking. If Sora said nothing, neither did he. There was a certain kind of cry, however, that he did watch out for. The one where Sora trembled and sobbed and hyperventilated if he didn't do something. As if Sora had sunk so far into his own thoughts that he was drowning. TRON would call out his name, tell him he's safe, to breathe, and together they'd count and he'd tell Sora to drink some water. Eventually Sora calms. Most of the time they try to find something to laugh about afterwards, usually with a bad pun from TRON's limited offline personal database. But other times it was back to their comfortable silence.

What would he have done if TRON weren't here? Would he have risked going into the unknown by now, taking what he could get and risking everything? Or whould he have let himself starve to death? He wants to tell himself neither. After all, he made a vow, an oath, and a promise. But he also knows he shouldn't be thinking about this at all. No use getting himself worked up over what-ifs that haven't happened. But as the months drag on and TRON's voice continued to keep him functioning, he couldn't help thinking of the likelihood that he would not have lasted this long otherwise. And as more time passed, he thought back to his summon magic and wondered how much longer seeing one of his friends would keep him going. If he could just hold Riku...even for a moment...he'd even settle for a bonk on the head from Kairi.

Just thinking of the redhead scolding him for taking a nap on the beach brought a smile to his face. He reached for the gummi phone to finger the little paopu charm dangling from it, a gift from before he and Riku started their first real journey together. Smiling fondly, he could almost imagine her working on it with the same quiet intensity she had when she made her good luck charm from Thalassa shells, the one she lent him and that he used to transform his keyblade into Oathkeeper. If he squinted hard enough, he could even see her fingerprints in the craft clay, which he matched up with his own fingers, his over hers.

If only she could see him now. She would never believe how long he goes without sleeping these days.

"Kairi..."

He said her name softly and he could see her smiling at him. The vision was so strong he smiled back without thinking about it, the warmth in his heart spreading all across his chest. But it wasn't just warmth, there was a familiar glow and his keyblade automatically appeared in his hand, the tip glowing too with a golden light that was blinding in the limited lighting of the dark cockpit. When he opened his eyes again, Kairi was standing before him, or rather an ethereal projection of herself, pink and glowing.

"Kairi..." He said her name again, the tears choking his throat as he realized what he had done. It wasn't really her, of course, but her heart was definitely shining through this brief connection. He reached a hand out for her, but his body felt so heavy, so weak from lack of pretty much everything. She met him part way, her hand grabbing his as she fell to her knees to embrace him in his chair. He wrapped his arms around her and dared to bury his face into her shoulder. Her hair felt so soft against his cheek and her small frame felt so warm. Her hands brushed through his hair and he cried, mumbling apologies and promises to be home soon. She didn't speak. She probably couldn't. But that's okay. This was enough.

The glow of his keyblade dimmed and Kairi was gone in a burst of sparkles. The cockpit was empty once more. He stared at the spot where she was once standing for several long seconds before he realized with a start that he hadn't been watching the monitors. "Oh no!" he cried out but TRON was quick to calm him.

"Don't worry, Sora. I've been watching. You haven't missed anything."

The brunette let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thanks, TRON." After his heart settled, he found he did feel better after the brief encounter, well enough to even make the effort to eat. "Keep an eye out. I'm going to grab some food."

"You got it."

In the days following, Sora had idly thought about trying it again, but as he held the paopu charm in his fingers, he knew he couldn't pull it off again, not with this object anyway. It just wasn't meant to be used this way. It was like a channel that could only be opened once; a match with a temporary flame. Only one strike and that's it. Though the warmth from Kairi's touch still lingered, he craved to feel that same warmth again from his husband. He had a few items from him, too. Mournfully he thought of the box he had destroyed. One less treasure to summon Riku with.

He had limited items. When would be the right time to use them? He had taken to wearing his keyblade armor all the time now to hide how thin he had gotten. He couldn't stand seeing how frail his wrists looked and how bony his knees had become. But even with the armor on, he knew...he felt it get heavier by the day, felt how loosely it hugged him when it should've been tight, and with less body fat to cushion his bones, the hard armor hurt. Then again, everything hurt. Even the cushioned captain's chair hurt. But the armor made him feel safe, so he endured, even if his longer hair trapped inside his helmet itched like mad. But if he were to attempt a summon, he knew he wanted his armor to be off. If he were to summon Riku, he wanted to hold him and feel him completely.

One day, he just couldn't take it anymore. He pulled one of his rings off, the gold one. "TRON, raise the shields for me, please," he requested but didn't even wait for the hum of the shields before dismissing his armor before standing and holding the ring close to his chest. "Give me strength!" he called out, keyblade at his side and looked up hopefully. A burst of light answered his call and the warmth that filled him threatened to overwhelm him. Tears sprang from his eyes as the golden image of Riku stood before him. His light. With a sob he fell forward into Riku's chest, clutching at the projection of his husband as he held him tightly. Strong arms wrapped around him and he muttered over and over how much he missed him and loved him, all the while Riku rubbed comforting circles into his back.

"I'm coming back to you! I promise! Wait for me, Riku. I promise...I promise..."

As quickly as he appeared, Riku was gone. But Sora wasn't done. He didn't want him to be gone! Not yet! He grabbed an ether to replenish his power and used another ring. The silver one this time. "LIGHT!" he called again.

Over and over he summoned Riku. Begged him to stay. Told him he loved him. Promised he'd be home soon. He had the smallest hope that maybe Riku wherever he was could hear it, how much he loved him and how desperately he wanted to come home and to not give up on him. For a few minutes he forgot about watching for a way out, forgot about the possibility of a vision overtaking the ship and how he might waste a summon if he got caught in the middle of one. The fates must've granted him the tiniest of mercies this one time because he managed to summon Riku many times until he had no more gifts from Riku to use...except one. He used his other music box, all his rings, the earrings Riku gave him, the pretty stones he's always kept in his pockets for luck, even a few sea shells. The charm around his neck was the last one. His hand hovered over it, tempted to use it...but...he forced himself to save it.

Exhausted, he collapsed back into his chair, his summoning frenzy having wiped him out, and he equipped his armor once more. "You can lower the shields, TRON..." he muttered hoarsely. His voice raw from his cries.

. . .

He doesn't feel hungry these days. TRON tells him to eat, but he drinks a lot of water and crunches ice cubes to conserve food. He's getting weaker all the time. He barely speaks out loud anymore and whenever he does, he tends to trail off on tangents.

"I've had so much time to think. I guess I've been avoiding thinking for the past few years. Always felt like too much, you know? Just following my heart felt easier."

"I don't think following your heart is as easy as you think it is," Tron argued. "Many want to, I'm sure, but feel like they can't. I think to others you make it look easy."

Sora smiles. "Maybe that's the case."

"You should eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You should be. You haven't eaten in a long time."

Sora sips a potion instead, just a little to take the edge off. "You know, it's funny. I used to down these like they were nothing back when I was trying to get my scar to heal. Funny how situations drastically change perspective."

His eyes glaze over as he continues keeping his sights on what's happening outside the window. Is he even seeing anything anymore?

"You should rest, if nothing else. I'll keep watch."

"Just a little longer," he murmured, though his head rolls forward as he says it. "I'm fine."

TRON suddenly appears in person, the gummi phone glowing as is Sora's heart in his chest. "TRON...how?"

"Your heart must've summoned me. Plus...I really want to help you."

"TRON, I--"

"No buts." The program lifts Sora from the captain's chair and takes him down below to lay him in his bunk. Even with his armor on, he felt impossibly light. "Sleep for now. I'll wake you in a little while."

Sora's too tired to protest, tears in the corners of his eyes from his friend's devotion as he felt the warmth of the other's intentions in his own heart. TRON straightens up to leave, but he reaches up and grabs for him, clutching him tightly as a dam breaks loose inside of him, suddenly feeling more than he has in weeks. "Please! Stay!"

TRON disappears eventually, just like the others. But it comforted Sora knowing he was still at the console. He wasn't completely gone. The hum of the shields turning on told him so and thus he dismissed his armor and allowed himself to sleep at long last.

Something about TRON reaching out for him relit a fire in Sora that had been flickering in and out for a while now. It was a faint flame, but one that kept him going. He hadn't ever given up hope but it had wavered a few times, there was no doubting that. He even found the energy to eat a little bit and left the shields on for a little longer so he could lounge a bit longer in his pajamas. He wasn't sure what it was, but he just felt...happy? It felt weird to be happy considering the situation he had been in for who knows how long. But he let this little spark continue, laughing merrily as he and TRON spoke over a breakfast of two granola bars and a box of apple juice he had been saving.

"Sora!" TRON suddenly called out.

"Another vision?" Sora asked as he prepared to equip his armor.

"No! A signal!"

"A SIGNAL!?" Sora grabbed the gummi phone off the console. He had three bars of PHONE signal. Without hesitation, his fingers automatically called Riku. "Please pick up, please pick up!"

It took one ring.

"SORA!?"

"RIKU!" Sora choked. "I'm so glad to hear your voice!"

"SORA! Where are you? Are you safe???" his husband asked frantically and Sora could hear the tears in his voice as well.

Sora clutched the phone tightly in his hands as he trembled with the force of so many emotions. "I'm safe, I promise! I-I don't know when I can come home. But I will! Please wait for me! I love you so much!" He said it all fast. He had thought many times what he would say to Riku if he had just one minute to talk to him. He didn't know how long he had to talk to him. He just wanted to let him know how much he loved him if nothing else.

"I love you, too! So much! I'll wait forever for you! You know that!"

"I know!" Sora sniffed loudly, his face wet with tears but he was smiling. "I love you so much...I wanna have all your babies!" he joked as he cry-laughed.

Riku snorted loudly on the other end. "Well you have to get back first. I can't be a single father."

Sora laughed even louder. "You'd be a great father no matter what, Riku."

"So will you, Sora. I'll keep the light on for you. And...you're sure you're safe? Is there anything I can do?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing. I'm okay. I haven't fought one heartless or anything since I've been in here," Sora assured him.

"You're going to be SO out of shape," Riku joked.

"Hahaha! I am!" the brunette laughed. "I miss you so much! I love you. I love you so much," he repeated it again.

"I love--"

"Riku?" Sora looked down at his phone. Signal lost.

TRON reappeared on screen. "Sora...are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," the brunette nodded and wiped his eyes on the back of his arm before carefully setting TRON back on the console. "Let's go back to our search."


	11. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku and Roxas have a fight.

Sora has been gone a long time. Too long. Riku had stopped counting the days.

Riku's dream eater instincts are getting more and more berserk, his traits leaking into the waking world as he senses Sora's nightmares but is still unable to reach them. Every day that passes by has made him moodier and more frantic for any clue of his husband's whereabouts, and Roxas being the closest direct link besides himself usually bears the brunt of his frustration. Riku constantly asks him for updates on how Sora's feeling. At first it was just a text every now and then, but as more time passed and as Riku grew more frustrated, he bothered Roxas more. Roxas didn't mind at first, but the more time went by the more Sora was in pain and the more unbearable it became for him to reach out through their connection. Even so, Riku never became less demanding, his texts more frequent and agitated until Roxas can't stand it any longer and muted him to hide away.

"Why isn't he answering!?" Riku growled as he sent another text. He was in the Mysterious Tower's library yet again. This time accompanied by Naminé, Vanitas, and their dog, Reacher, a large black canine with piercing blue eyes. It was a very lean and muscular dog, one that put Riku at a bit of unease with how un-doglike it seemed. It stood proud with its tail straight up, was very obedient, and just seemed to know how to stare holes into your soul with the way it studied your face, like a disapproving teacher. Said dog was sitting loyally at Naminé's feet.

"Isn't it obvious?" Vanitas huffed from where he was sitting at the top of a ladder. "You're so needy."

"Watch it," Riku growled again.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Vanitas rolled his eyes.

"Vani..." Naminé warned quietly.

"Somebody needs to say it," Vanitas argued, though in a more gentle tone since he was talking to Naminé, after all. "You'd want to know if you were pissing everybody off, wouldn't you, Riku?"

"I...I guess I would," Riku answered hesitantly.

"Well, you're pissing everybody off. You're not yourself," the man told him bluntly.

"Well how am I _supposed_ to act!?" Riku stood up suddenly, fists clenched and teeth clenched as his eyes flashed pink for a brief moment. He saw Vanitas flinch and Reacher stood up and took a step back. He's slipping again. "Never mind. I'll see him myself!" he threw his book on the table with the others and stomped off.

"Wait, Riku!" Naminé stood to go after him but Vanitas was quick to hop down from the ladder and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Just let him go."

Angry that he was being ignored by Roxas of all people, the keyblade master flew to Twilight Town and made his way to mansion. Still seething as he shoved past Axel who tried to keep him at bay, only to find Roxas curled up in bed with a blanket over his head and sobbing his eyes out.

"Stay away!" the blonde shouted vehemently. He didn't even look up to see who it was. It was if he already knew who would come charging into his room like this.

Riku froze in his tracks at seeing the younger man act this way. "Roxas, what are you--"

"I can't do this anymore! It's too much!" he cried as he gripped at his head, his fingers tugging at his blonde locks as he tried to block everything out, especially Riku.

Undeterred, Riku grabbed Roxas by the shoulders in an attempt to snap him out of it. "You need to get a grip! Sora's counting on us!"

"Shut up! What do you know!?" Roxas snapped, looking up to glare at Riku with a piercing blue gaze. "You saw that post. He said he doesn't want us looking for him!"

"But that was so long ago! Things could be different now!" Riku yelled. "If you could only just--"

"MY HEART ISN'T LIKE SORA'S!" Roxas shouted, finally reaching his breaking point as he violently shoved Riku away, the silverette landing flat on his back in shock. "I can't handle all the hurt he's going through! So stop trying to make me!"

Riku grit his teeth, wincing as he got off the floor. That's right, Roxas's heart is still very young. It wasn't fair to expect him to keep up with all of this. "Roxas..."

"Just please, let me block it out. I'm sorry. I really am. But I don't see why I have to hurt too! It's not doing any of us any good!" the blonde pleaded as tears continued to stream from his puffy red eyes.

"No, you're right. I'm sorry. If there's anything I can--"

"Go! Just please, go!" Roxas sniffled loudly as he wiped his face angrily on the back of his sleeve. "I just want to be left alone."

"Roxas, please--"

"Get out of here before I break your other arm!" the blonde snarled.

Riku was taken aback, not just by the threat, but by the look on his face. The last time Roxas looked at him like that, they were in the woods on their way to fight the Master of Masters, when he told Riku to promise him not to leave Sora's side.

_"I don't want to feel that pain ever again."_

_"That pain of loneliness...suffering. I don't want to feel it from him OR YOU ever again! Do you understand me?"_

_"You promise me. You stay with him. Promise me!"_

He clenched his fists at his sides, trembling as he stared holes into the floor. Not only has he broken his promise, he was now rubbing Roxas's face in it. He looked up again, but this time he saw Sora glaring at him with that same intense look, this one reminding him of how angry he was in Arendelle, so full of pain and yet so enraged he took out a swarm of heartless despite being extremely injured. The twin looks of anger drove a hot spike of guilt through his chest. He heard a sharp intake of breath from Roxas and watched him suddenly reach out for a figure on the nightstand.

Instinctively, Riku raised his arms to block and ducked just as Roxas hurled the figure at his head and spun around to see the figure shatter as it hit the wall behind him.

"STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!"

"I'm sorry, I just--"

"JUST GO!"

"I think it's time for you to go," Axel stated coldly, now glaring at Riku from the doorway. "I'll look after him."

Riku swallowed hard and gave one last look to Roxas who had buried himself under the blankets again before taking his leave. As Axel closes the door behind him, he could hear the blonde whimpering, "I'm not Sora. I'm not Sora!" before it shut.

Even after the door is closed, Riku can't bring himself to tear his eyes away. "How long has he been like this?" he asked Axel.

The redhead huffs. "You'd know if you ever asked him how HE'S doing."

"Right..." the silverette slumped.

Axel sighs. "What are you getting at anyway? Roxas doesn't have any answers and he won't have more just because you keep asking him over and over."

"I just...want to know if Sora's...you know..."

"Of course he is! You of all people would know if he wasn't."

"It's not just that...I guess...I want to know what Sora's feeling; if he's fighting or if he's safe. Is he hiding or is he lost? I thought knowing what he's feeling could clue us in."

"Well why didn't you just ask THAT? If you're not specific, all Roxas will be able to tell you is the same thing he always tells you: that Sora is lonely and miserable."

"You're right, I just...don't know what's come over me lately."

"Look, man, I get it. Isa and I lost somebody important to us too, years ago. We swore we'd do anything to find her. We're still looking, in fact. Point is, we've already figured out that losing yourself isn't the way to do it. Got it memorized?"

Riku swallowed hard and nodded before apologizing one more time and taking his leave, now feeling thoroughly ashamed of himself as he headed home.

"I've been a terrible friend," he muttered to himself as he pet Rox at the door. "I've been so worried about Sora I haven't made time for anybody else. I know they're all suffering too, but I all I keep thinking about is how much I'M hurting."

"Mrow~" Rox meowed.

"So much for keeping the light on, huh?" he smiled sadly as he scratched the kitty beneath his chin. "Can always count on Vanitas or Roxas to let me know how big of an asshole I can be." He sighed heavily as he kicked his boots off and flopped into the living room couch, head resting on a red and gold patterned pillow that Sora made. He stared up at the branches in the ceiling as Rox came over and settled into his lap. "I thought I had put this anger behind me. I thought I had grown. But I guess...when pushed far enough, anybody can fall back into unhealthy habits," he mused as he idly scratched Rox behind the ears.

The kitty purred and closed his eyes as he melted beneath Riku's hand, bucking his head into his fingers until Riku rubbed all the right spots.

Riku felt his eyelids getting heavy. "I need to make it up to Roxas. But I don't know how...it'll be hard if he doesn't want to talk to me."

"Mowwwwww~"

"Maybe I should take a break...but I'd feel guilty, you know?"

Rox purred even louder and rolled onto his back in Riku's lap so that Riku can rub his belly next.

The movement made Riku smirk. "Are you a cat or a dog?"

"Mrow."

"Wonder how you and Reacher would get along," Riku chuckled before looking up at the clock, a lovely cuckoo clock that Geppetto gave them as a wedding present that had different bird songs depending on the time of day. Right now it was almost time for it to hoot. "Maybe it's time for bed."

"Meow?"

Riku shook his head. "I'm not hungry. Think I should sleep in the den tonight, what do you think?"

The kitty walked up Riku's chest and gave his face a sniff, his wet nose tickling Riku's. "Mowwwwwr~"

"Alright," Riku laughed and stood up, holding the kitty to his chest for one last cuddle before setting him down to change into his pajamas. Before bed, he did make himself a mug of hot chocolate before he settled into the giant yellow cushion with his phone and a book. By the time he had finished the cocoa and read four chapters, he was asleep under a thick quilt, prepared for the changes he knew were going to happen tonight.

. . .

"You okay?" Axel asked, gently rapping on the door to Roxas's room before he came in with a tray of tomato soup and grilled cheese for the blonde.

Roxas looked up from his cocoon of blankets. "I shouldn't have yelled at him," he muttered quietly.

"Don't feel bad for standing up for yourself. He needed to hear it and you needed to say it," Axel shrugged as he sat the tray down on Roxas's desk where the pieces of figure he threw earlier had been gathered and placed carefully.

Roxas saw him stare at the pile of pieces. "It was the magitech armor...Sora liked that one..." he sniffled.

"Roxas..."

"I just...I don't know..." he sniffed again as he wiped angrily at his eyes that were raw and puffy. "I know Riku didn't MEAN to look at me that way. I just...it just makes me so mad. But it also shouldn't. It's not like I'm angry that I resemble Sora, because of course I do. It's just..."

"You want to be seen as you and not just a Sora surrogate or telephone. I get it."

"Yeah...and I know Riku doesn't see me that way. But sometimes...I think he gets so desperate to see Sora he sees him in places whether he wants to or not. Is that a thing?" Roxas looked up at Axel.

"Yeah, it kind of is," the redhead answered as he pulled up a chair and scooched over to Roxas. "It's a part of grieving. Sometimes you wish so much to see somebody that you start to see them everywhere. Your mind plays tricks on you. Even if you know that they're long gone or that there's no way that they'd be around and not tell you, you see them whether you're intentionally looking for them or not." He sighed and stared at the floor guiltily.

"Hm?" Roxas tilted his head.

"I...did the same thing to Sora...after you were gone. And even with Kairi...I didn't know it at the time, but sometimes when I looked at Kairi, I would see Xion," he admitted.

"Axel..."

The redhead gave a hard sniff. "Point is, you're both hurting. So it might help if you both talked about it," the redhead suggested.

"Yeah...you might be right. Thanks, Axel," the blonde gave him a smile.

"Anytime. Do you want me to wait up for you to come home?" he asked with a grin, knowing Roxas will go bother Riku right away.

"Nah. I think I should give "Master Riku" a taste of his own medicine," he grinned back.

After he ate dinner and had a quick shower, Roxas used a darkness corridor and the warp sphere to get to Riku and Sora's place. Night had already fallen and the stars were out, but it wasn't THAT late, so why were the lights out? Above him in the treetops a swarm of crows were cawing loudly. "How can anybody sleep through that? Is he even home?" he wondered as he climbed the stairs. On the way up, he noticed some of the windows appeared to be boarded up from the inside, but the glass was perfectly intact. "That's weird..."

The crows continued to caw loudly. They didn't even disperse when he got close. "What's the big deal?" he blinked. He didn't see any other animals around or any food for them to be fighting over and they seemed to have very little interest in _him_ so what was the commotion all about? With a shrug he knocked on Riku's door. "Riku? Are you in there? It's Roxas! I just want to talk!"

He suddenly heard a ROAR from inside that actually rattled the windows! "GO AWAY!"

Roxas was so startled he nearly stumbled off the deck. "Riku!?"

"GO HOME!" the voice roared again.

"Yeah right!" Roxas scoffed and summoned Oathkeeper to unlock the door. "I'm coming in!" When he entered, he nearly tripped on Donut who was immediately rubbing against his legs and meowing loudly. "Where's your dad?" he asked the cat.

"Mrow," was all the kitty meowed before dashing off down the hall.

Being a treehouse, the halls weren't exactly very wide, but since Roxas helped build the place, he knew how to get around decently enough, even in the dark. But it was very creepy the way the house moved in the wind and how the crows kept kicking up a fuss as he heard growling the further he went in. "Riku?"

Donut stopped in front of a closed door and began pawing at it. "Mowwwwwwwwwrrrrr!"

"Okay, got it. Thanks! Step back, kitty!" the blonde warned before raising Oathkeeper again.

"Mow wow woowwr!" the cat yowled before rushing away to a safer distance.

A beam of light shot out of Roxas's keyblade and with a resounding CLICK the door opened. Almost immediately Roxas felt this wave of heat waft from inside, like he just opened a sauna or something. "Riku?" he whimpered, afraid of what he was going to find as he opened the door the rest of the way and turned on the light. He didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this!

Curled up on the floor was a creature with large bat-like wings that iridescently shined with blue, green, and purple colors. It was dressed in gray sweats and a loose yellow t-shirt and had pink and yellow feathers growing out of it scaly forearms. Its hands were purple and curled like talons with sharp black claws. The rest he couldn't see because half of it was buried under a pile of rags and blankets. But he definitely recognized the long head of silver hair it had. "R-Riku?"

The creature looked up at Roxas. It was definitely Riku, but with sharp pink glowing eyes and protruding fangs. "I told you not to come!" he growled.

"Riku! What the hell happened to you!?" Roxas reached a hand out, but Riku shrank away. In doing so, he could see the pink dream eater sigil glowing on his back through his shirt. "Why...why didn't you say anything!?" he shouted angrily as he dismissed his keyblade, tears that he didn't know he had left forming in his eyes again.

"What is there to say?" Riku asked, quieter this time as he curled up in the corner with his knees pulled up to his chest.

"You're hurting, Riku!" Roxas walked over to him and knelt before him to brush the hair out of Riku's eyes, but Riku turned his head away. "Please, look at me."

"There's nothing you can do," Riku told him. "I shouldn't have tried to...to make you feel like that...like there was something you could be doing that you're not. I'm sorry."

"Riku...I...I could've tried to be more understanding too, and maybe told you how it was affecting me, instead of expecting you to figure it out. You're in pain. It wasn't fair for me to expect you to figure it out when you have so many other things on your mind."

"No...I really should have known. And not just you...the others, too. Somewhere along the way I started acting like I'm the only one who misses him. I don't know why. Because I know that's not true."

"Well gee, you think maybe _this_ ," he indicated to Riku's body, "might have something to do with it?" he smirked.

Riku let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, maybe."

"Just maybe?" Roxas grinned and Riku finally looked up before they both started laughing. "So...how long does this usually last?"

"Not much longer," Riku assured him as he flexed his hands. If he could start wiggling his fingers again he knew control was coming back. "Used to only last a couple of minutes. But it's been getting longer and longer."

"How much longer?" Roxas asked as he sat next to him, careful not to touch the bat wings flanking Riku's sides, though he was super curious and wanted to feel them badly.

"An hour, tops? I'm not really sure. I stopped counting the minutes a long time ago."

"Riku...have you told anybody about this? Merlin? Master Yen Sid? Ansem?"

Riku shook his head. "No. I guess...I just felt like it was something I had to deal with on my own. Nobody else has ever turned themselves into a Dream Eater. So how would anybody know how to help? Besides, I think I...just started taking it as a sign that Sora's still okay. If he's still having nightmares, then he's still alive."

Roxas sighed loudly and leaned his head back against the wall. "If you knew that, why did you keep bothering ME?"

Riku let out a laugh. "I'm sorry. Even if he's having nightmares, it doesn't tell me how he's feeling while he's awake." His wings started shrinking and his talons started retracting. "I don't know if he's actually hurt or if he's scared or running away or if he's been captured...I figured you would know better. Sure if he weren't trapped in that place, I could feel that through our connection. But I don't get anything...just this. I thought if you knew if he's feeling scared or angry that it would give me a clue."

"Yeah...but even if it did...what good would it have done? We still can't find him, even if we did know," Roxas pointed out.

"I know you're right...but still...I want to know."

"Well, I hope you'll one day forgive me, but I can't give you those answers," Roxas sighed and stood up to brush himself off now that Riku was back to normal. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," the silverette answered hoarsely. "I'm glad you came by...do you want some tea or something?"

"Nah, I gotta get going. I'll see myself out," Roxas smiled. "Good night, Riku. And listen...if you need someone to talk to, I'll listen."

"Same to you, Roxas," Riku smiled back. "Good night."

"Later," the blonde gave a little two finger wave before he left but not without giving Donut a little scratchy-scratch behind the ears first. "And good night to you, too, you little nugget. Look after him."

"Mrow~"

Riku chuckled to himself and waited for the sound of the door closing before getting up too and crawling back over to the yellow cushion to get comfortable again. It was a while before he felt tired enough to fall asleep, but just as his eyes were about to close, his gummi phone rang. It startled him and he sat up with a jolt, grabbing it quickly to see Sora's name on the screen!

"SORA!?" he answered!

"RIKU! I'm so glad to hear your voice!"

"SORA! Where are you? Are you safe???" he asked frantically as he swallowed back tears. He almost couldn't believe it! It was Sora!

"I'm safe, I promise! I-I don't know when I can come home. But I will! Please wait for me! I love you so much!" He said it all fast. It was almost hard for Riku to understand him.

"I love you, too! So much! I'll wait forever for you! You know that!" _Please don't be a dream._

"I know! I love you so much...I wanna have all your babies!"

Riku snorted loudly. What a thing to say! Then again, it was one of the last things they talked about before Sora left for his last mission. "Well you have to get back first. I can't be a single father."

Sora laughed even louder. "You'd be a great father no matter what, Riku."

A warmth filled Riku's chest and he rested a hand over his own heart which felt better than it had in months. "So will you, Sora. I'll keep the light on for you. And...you're sure you're safe? Is there anything I can do?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing. I'm okay. I haven't fought one heartless or anything since I've been in here," Sora assured him.

"You're going to be SO out of shape," Riku joked as the tears leaked down his face.

"Hahaha! I am!" the brunette laughed. "I miss you so much! I love you. I love you so much," he repeated it again.

"I love you, too." He wanted to say something else, but then a loud beeping from the phone told him he lost connection. "Sora?" He pulled the phone away from his ear to see the call had been dropped. He tried desperately to call again, but it didn't go through. That was it.

"Meowwww~"

Riku looked down to see Rox batting his kneecap and leaned back so the cat could hop into his lap. "Daddy says hi, Rox."

"Mrow~"

"You're right. It's time to go to bed."


	12. TRON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A security program keeps Sora company until he gets home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Starvation

It has been 10 months, 11 days, 8 hours, 42 minutes, and 15 seconds since Sora turned the phone on with a battery from his precious keepsake; a heart to keep TRON alive. The program spent many microcycles watching over his dear friend acting as his only companion in The Void.

Sora was definitely not like other users. Even when he was like this...emaciated...tired...lonely, he never ceased to smile at TRON or thank him for anything. Sometimes he would lose his temper when he didn't understand something, but TRON knew there was no real malice or hurt intended in his outbursts, which were far and few in between to begin with. In fact, any show of emotion was beginning to be a less frequent occurrence, something that troubled TRON immensely.

Sora's bright eyes were beginning to look empty and the effort to even smile began to look almost strenuous. Under the dim glow of the gummi ship controls and monitors and the light of the visions that poured in through the window, TRON watched as Sora slowly began to waste away. He missed the days when Sora would talk about whatever random thought came to mind, how he'd light up when he talked about his friends, his husband, his family. They reminisced about their own adventures together. Sora would even ask him questions and he'd answer back with what limited memory he had stored in Sora's device. After all, he'd been offline for white a while now.

He even missed seeing Sora cry. At least then he knew Sora was feeling anything at all. Sora would say over and over that he'd know the right vision because he'd feel Riku calling for him, but now TRON wondered if he'd be able to. Watching out the window has become an obsession to the point Sora barely devoted the energy to anything else, especially sadness, or even taking care of himself. So Sora became TRON's new self-appointed purpose, his functions revolving around ensuring Sora's needs were being fulfilled. 

At first, things weren't so bad. Sora was confident there was enough food to survive for a year. However, beyond his personal food items, the only food available were non-perishable items, bare amenities, protein bars and canned soups and the like. When his favorite foods ran out, Sora took to rationing much more seriously. Even now there wasn't a shortage, but at least three months ago, TRON noticed Sora had seemed to stop eating, claiming to not be hungry and choosing to sip water or potions instead. But TRON knew he was hungry. He would count the hours between Sora's meals and he could hear his stomach, whether he wore his armor or not. He wondered if it was because the food tasted bland, but even before, Sora had done this or that to mix things up. But then he realized Sora had come to the realization that the longer he spent worrying about what he ate, the longer he was away from the window. After that, it was like a switch had been turned off. No more experimenting with protein bar flavors. Then he spaced the time out between meals, then he only bothered eating one a day. Then TRON had to start reminding him to eat.

The program began to wonder if he had begun to starve just to feel anything at all, but he couldn't bear to ask about it. All he could do was keep gently pushing him and remind him. Not long after he stopped eating on his own, Sora stopped other things to, or at least he tried. Anything that would be a distraction had to go. He showered less, held it in until he couldn't stand it anymore, even sleeping stopped being a priority. But TRON also figured it had something to do with the nightmares. Sora used to be much more agreeable about sleep, even taking naps. At least in dreams he could be out of the ship and be with his friends. But as the nightmares accumulated and the realization that Riku wasn't coming sank in, his enthusiasm for sleep became less and less. Now he goes for three or four days at a time without sleep, even if TRON does his best to coax him.

Holidays were another distraction that had to go. When Sora's 22nd birthday came around, TRON surprised him by singing happy birthday and gifted him a remix of his two favorite songs and even suggested they make him a pretend cake out of protein bars and what was left of the peanut butter. It seemed to do the trick...for a little while. But soon after Sora remembered the other birthdays he was missing, the holidays with friends...so after that TRON stopped. Even "Talk Like a Pirate Day" was just a painful reminder of how much time had passed.

It also didn't help that Sora's hair was getting longer. He even had a beard growing, the razor well-worn beyond salvaging three months into "the game". It was a patchy beard to be sure, and at first Sora was amused, using his comb to idly play with it while he kept an eye out the window, joking about his hair and comparing himself to Rapunzel. Then he thought about Riku's long hair and then suddenly it wasn't as amusing anymore.

Everything was numbers now. For every 467 visions, 1 would pertain to Sora's lifetime with a 24% chance it even pertained to HIS timeline. There was a 3.7% chance he'd see one of these in a day. The first satellite Sora sent a kingstagram post on appeared 7 months, 6 days, 4 hours, 10 minutes, and 4 seconds ago. There was a 1.3% chance of one ever showing up again.

Sora hated the numbers.

37 hours since he ate.

31 hours since he had a full 6 hours of sleep.

10 minutes since his last sip of water.

47 hours since his last shower.

4 hours since he last got up from his chair.

3 weeks since he's laughed.

2 weeks since he's cried.

"You need to sleep," TRON reminded him again.

"I'm fine," Sora insisted quietly, his head rolling forward as though defeated.

He's not fine. TRON knows this. Users need sleep, food, water, space, and sunlight. The inside of a cockpit is no place for anybody, not for this long. The program's heart ached to see him this way. He desperately wanted to help, to do something other than be a voice to remind Sora to keep moving. He needed to keep him going some other way, even if just for a moment. He knows Sora will succeed, but he needs to hang on.

Sora's chest glowed as did the gummi phone, and TRON found himself standing before Sora, who looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Why...?"

"Your heart summoned me," the program answered. It was the only explanation he could think of. Sora needed him.

He's only been summoned once before. The user world was much different then what he was used to. Moving feels different. There's smell. There's weight. There should be light, too, but not here.

"I really want to help you," TRON said as soon as he saw the look of weak protest on Sora's face. Why were the words hard to say?

"TRON...I--"

"No buts." TRON wouldn't let him speak, instead choosing to gingerly lift him from his chair in a motion that made Sora wince and TRON faltered for a moment. Despite the armor the young man was wearing, Sora felt incredibly light in his arms. Too light. He's never lifted him before, but he knew this wasn't right. TRON's heart clenched, but he steeled his resolve to carry Sora down to the sleeping quarters.

The brunette suddenly starts crying softly, his armor dismissing itself as he clings to TRON's shoulders.

He's so thin.

He tries to set him down, but Sora holds on desperately. "It'll be okay. I'll keep watch. Trust me, Sora," TRON pleaded.

"Please, don't go!" His voice was raspy, choked despite all the water he had been drinking, as if his voice was weak from a lack of use. "Stay!"

TRON knows he has about 30 more seconds left. He sits down and holds Sora for every single one.

A phone call was made the day after that. 3 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 2 hours, and 15 minutes ago. A phone call lasting 2 minutes and 47 seconds. It kept him going.

* * *

Sora found the way out after 1 year, 6 days, 9 hours, 37 minutes, and 17 seconds of looking.

"TRON, can you turn on the auto-pilot?" he asked while lowering his keyblade, the guiding beam having lit their way and led them out.

"Activating auto-pilot. What's our heading?"

There was silence.

"Sora?"

The brunette appears to have fallen asleep, a peaceful smile on his face.

"Sora?" TRON tried to call out one more time, but still the man would not rouse.

"MASTER SORA!" Dale called over the radio. "Is that you!?"

"It's us!" TRON responded on Sora's behalf. "Sora's out! We need a heading."

"Turning on remote navigation. We'll take you home!" Chip shouted.

It was 5 minutes and 22 seconds before Sora's ship, Excalibur, arrived in the hangar. All the while TRON called for him to wake up.

Riku came clamoring into the gummi ship almost immediately upon landing.

"Sora! Sora!" TRON could hear him shout and watched from the console as Riku deactivated Sora's armor and try to wake him.

He could only watch as Riku gently shook him. If he had breath, he'd be holding it.

Then finally, Sora opened his eyes. Relief washed over everybody in the cabin, including TRON.

"Hey, handsome," he heard Sora murmur.

"Hey, beautiful," Riku cried.

The ship hummed as it was shut off and TRON went offline.


	13. Honey, I'm Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora's home and he's had a hard year.

When Sora found the vision to take them home, it felt surreal. There was no fanfare, no "A-ha!" moment, nothing of the sort.

He felt Riku. He summoned his keyblade. The light of their hearts connected, just like so many paths he has opened before, and he went through the Vision. It didn't even look all that special. In fact, if he hadn't felt Riku, he wouldn't have paid it any attention. It just looked like any other expanse of stars.

But once he was on the other side, he felt like he could finally rest. After he saw Riku's smile, he slept for a week.

When he awoke, it felt almost business as usual, to him, at least. Everybody else was fussing over him a lot. He just wanted things to go back to normal.

He told them about seeing BoB, how he claims to have a new apprentice lined up. All they can do is keep an eye out. But in the meantime, Sora has been benched.

This was fine, he decided. He missed home. He missed tending to his garden, petting his cat, reading on his couch...he missed Riku.

The anxiety wasn't as bad this time. _This time..._ He hated that. Hated that this has happened multiple times.

Riku wasn't okay. Too long without Sora had affected him on a deeper level. Facing the fact that there could be dangers that even he couldn't save Sora from was almost too much for him to accept. He benched himself.

It was nice, the two of them recovering together, but Sora couldn't shake off his shame.

"I'm the worst husband ever," he chuckled bitterly. "Only married for four months and I disappeared."

"Four months and three weeks," Riku corrected. "And you didn't disappear. You came back. It's...part of the job."

"This job sucks," Sora snorted.

The two of them laughed. They had to.

Riku noticed Sora thinking to himself a lot. He'd get out of bed on his own, sit alone, stare at the ocean alone. When Riku joined him, he would smile brightly and scoot close, as if he knew Riku would show up anyway. It was a while before Sora talked like himself again. He'd start many times, but stop himself as if he wondered if it was too much to say what was on his mind.

The things he saw...Riku could only imagine how heavily they weighed on Sora's heart. The nightmares he was finally able to see were enormous and plenty. But Riku prevailed, and in a few months Sora was sleeping more soundly.

"When are you going to cut your hair?" Sora asked him one day.

With an amused chuckle, Riku realized both their ponytails were pretty much the same length. "When are you going to cut yours?" he asked cheekily.

"Together?" Sora asked.

"Together," Riku agreed.

At the top of the cliff beside their house, they took turns cutting off each other's ponytails and threw them into the sea. It was like saying good-bye to the sadness they each carried, the tide washing it away just like time inevitably will. Of course, after that they immediately went to Sora's mom to get it fixed.

Getting Sora to give up his short beard was a different sort of struggle. "Trimming it is a lot harder than growing it," he complained.

Riku wasn't sure that's what the problem was, however. If anything, he was almost certain Sora didn't want to shave it off because he didn't want people seeing how gaunt his face looked until he had put on more weight.

"How are you going to give me kisses if you don't shave, though?" Riku asked.

"You saying you don't want to kiss me if I have a beard?" Sora asked mournfully, the puppy eyes on at full blast. "Am I hideous?"

Riku covered his mouth as he tried to hold back a laugh. "No, of course not. But it's itchy and scratchy! Wouldn't you feel better without it?"

"I think it makes me look very distinguished," Sora argued while playing with the two inch length on his chin.

"You can't be the only one of us with a beard. I won't allow it!" Riku huffed.

"Then grow yours!"

"No way! My cousins will call me GRANDPA Riku!"

Sora bent over cackling. "Okay, okay! I'll get rid of it. But you better give me a billion kisses when I'm done."

"I'll give you a billion and one," Riku grinned.

Riku thought rescuing Sora from BoB the first time was the worst he'd ever seen the brunette. Even then, Sora had gotten pretty skinny, but it did nothing to prepare him for how frail Sora looked when he got back. Even now Riku can't shake the image from his worst nightmares, but maybe that was also because he had so many questions. It didn't make sense. There were still plenty of rations on the ship. Why didn't Sora eat? The brunette couldn't answer him. Even now his appetite appears to be affected, which is to be expected. He's eating and he enjoys cooking, but he seems to get more enjoyment out of watching Riku eat that he does actually eating it himself. "I just don't feel as hungry..." he would say quietly if Riku caught him staring.

When Sora finally REALLY started talking again, he had ideas: Plans for a future where the worlds would be reunited. He spoke to their elders, had long discussions with the King, and eventually held meetings with all the masters. Riku watched in awe as his best friend and partner flourished into a determined leader before his eyes, on and off the battlefield. Together all of them made plans for the future of the worlds, determined to support Sora's vision. Aqua and Terra's school wasn't just going to be a school for keyblade wielders. It was going to be a school for the next ambassadors of peace, advocates of world order and union.

It was going to be a long journey, but Sora thinks they're well on their way and Riku believes him.

With all his heart.


	14. Recap...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora tries to predict the future by looking to the past...but he's not very good at it.

While still recovering from his ordeal, Sora thought he owed it to everyone to figure out the next move, or at least predict what might happen next. But that's the thing, he's not a wizard like Yen Sid or Merlin or an all-knowing fairy godmother. There was only one thing he seemed to be good at, and that was making friends...and getting into trouble. Okay, so maybe two things.

In front of him in the den he had a lot of paper, his gummi phone, and lots of colorful pens. Once he settled into his favorite cushion, he felt ready to work.

"So...what are you doing, exactly?" Riku asked as he eyed the stationery supplies the brunette had spread out.

"Predicting the future...I think," Sora answered without a lot of confidence.

"Oh...I see. Um...how?" Riku didn't want to discourage Sora, but this behavior was a little strange.

"I don't know. I'm just going to start from the beginning and work my way up!"

"Okay. I'll just make some lemonade, then."

"Thank you~" Sora grinned and blew a kiss to Riku before getting down to work. First he wrote down what he knew. "Time traveling can only happen when somebody knows you in the time period you're traveling to and your heart needs to have a place to go." He wrote BoB on a piece of paper and drew six lines, each representing the foretellers. "We know most about Luxu, AKA Xigbar. Xigbar is how BoB and the foretellers got to the present. But what about Ven? How did Ven come across Xehanort?" Already he was at a dead end, and Ven was in no state to answer, even if he wanted to, having had his heart broken and repaired TWICE. Vanitas wouldn't know either. "This sucks. I'm at a stalemate," he growled as he dropped his marker and gripped his hair in frustration. It's just like BoB said. "All I've done is stall everything. I don't know what to do." He pressed his palms into his eye sockets as he groaned. "If Bob were to come back, he'd need somebody here who knows him. Ven doesn't know Bob directly but...wait...we ALL know Bob now. If anything, even I have made an unwilling connection. Or...does it only work if I knew him from back then, too?"

He sighed and fiddled with another piece of paper. "Ven knew Master Gula...so if Gula came back, he could then call Bob...I guess. But would he?" His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Darkness acted like it knows Bob..."

By now Riku had come back with a glass of lemonade for Sora and can see the man had become pale. "What is it?"

Sora accepted the glass with shaky hands and took a sip before answering. "Nothing...just...I think we made the right call. I feel like Ven is the key to so much. With Darkness sealed away, whatever plans Bob may have are stalled, I'm sure of it. But for how long, I just don't know. He mentioned an apprentice, but said we don't know them yet."

"Maybe now isn't the time to think about these things," Riku suggested gently as he looked down at the pile of blank paper saved for the hastily written foreteller names and a bunch of question marks. He gently shoved them away and sat next to Sora to wrap an arm around him. "You're still recovering. You shouldn't push yourself."

"I know, but I saw so many things...there has to be a reason why."

"You'll figure it out. But you can't force yourself," the silverette pleaded softly before kissing Sora's cheek. "Now what do you want for dinner?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Fine, what do you want to watch me eat until you DO get hungry?" he teased.

Sora giggled. "Maybe spaghetti?"

"Sounds great," Riku smiled.

. . .

"Love comes in many forms, but I think the most powerful love is unconditional love. The one where you love no matter what. It's a love that I only have for one person at the moment, but to have unconditional love for everybody, that would take a strong heart."

_But you have the capacity. You love practically everybody you meet, befriend them, even try to call them back once they had fallen._

Sora knew Darkness wasn't praising him. "That's just being a good friend."

_If that's how you see it, we think this grand plan of yours might be doomed to fail._

"I don't want people to think it's going to take _much_ for change. The easier it sounds, the more likely it will happen."

_Or it will sound so unbelievable that nobody would give it a chance._

"There's that too," Sora admitted with a sheepish grin. 

_We can't wait to see this ugly paradise of yours._

"What makes you think it will be ugly?"

_Most might call it that. Mix water with dirt, you get mud._

Sora quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "You're calling darkness dirt?"

_That's how they see us._

"No, more like...oil, maybe."

Darkness grunted with annoyance. _Still doesn't help the metaphor._

They had a point; oil and water don't mix, and oil kills things living in water, but it's useful, too. Sora let out a sigh. "There was this story I heard as a kid. A fairy tale of a princess who planted flowers of every color in her garden. Not a weed to be found. But the more beautiful flowers she planted, the duller her kingdom became, until the garden appeared to be nothing but gray."

Darkness says nothing.

"So a pure bright world would lose its color. You can't appreciate light without the dark. Having darkness without overwhelming the light would be best for both, I think."

_You keep saying that, but not everybody would agree with you. They don't want conflict, strife...they want everything easy._

"Do they? I don't think so. Not from what I've seen."

_You have your work cut out for you._

"Hm."

_Xehanort chose darkness because he didn't think the light could win. He tried to use it a as a means to create his perfect world. You think you're any different?_

"Yes. I'm not picking either side."

* * *

At the Land of Departure, Sora was spending time with Aqua who kept adding changes to her wedding gown. The wedding was in three weeks. She and Terra have been putting it off until Sora got home. The brunette felt incredibly guilty when he found out, but Aqua assured him that they wouldn't have felt right having the wedding without him. After all, if it weren't for him and the others, she and Terra probably would never have been reunited. She really wanted him and Riku to be there.

"It looks beautiful, Aqua!" Sora gasped at the gorgeous blue and white gown that glittered with delicate beading that he could tell was made from crushed synthesis materials that made it sparkle brilliantly. 

"Thank you, Sora. I think it's almost done. Then I can finally give my fingers a break!" she giggled.

"Terra's going to love it! I hope he's putting as much work into his outfit!" he laughed.

"Anything he makes would fall apart at the altar," she snickered. "The fairies offered to help." She smiled but as she fingered the beads, her smile faltered ever so slightly. "I found my master's diary."

"Oh?" Sora tilted his head at the subject change. Then again, Aqua must be sad about her master not being here to see his students get married.

"He was in love, once. I...had no idea. After I figured it out, everything seemed to make much more sense."

"What made more sense?" the brunette blinked.

"He...loved Master Xehanort," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Sora swallowed hard. That must not have been easy information for Aqua, Terra, or Ven to process either. It only further supported the fact that the man they all hated may have once been a good person if their Master really cared for him that much...and still cared for him if he managed to deceive him even after all those years later. "Aqua..."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "It's fine. I'm sorry I brought it up. I just...I think about him all the time, you know? I wonder if he'd be proud of everything we're trying to accomplish."

"He is proud! I know he is. How could he not be?" Sora smiled.

"Thanks, Sora," she smiled back before looking her dress over. "Do you think it needs more?"

Sora snatched the box of rhinestones from her hand. "GIVE YOUR FINGERS A BREAK!"

She laughed as she tried to snatch them back. "Sora!"

"No way, I'm cutting you off!"

* * *

Terra and Riku were outside "supervising" two of the first new students that have come to their school as they played with Master Ventus. They hadn't meant to start teaching this soon, but Ventus found them in a bad situation and asked to bring them. They haven't gone through the keyblade ceremony yet, since they're both only eight years old, but for the time being they are training with wooden ones when they aren't asking Master Ventus to play with them.

Terra watched the three play as the sun was beginning to set. "Riku..."

"Hm?" the silverette turned his head to look at the elder Master.

"This plan that Sora has...what do you think of it? Truly?"

"Where's this coming from?" Riku asked suspiciously. Did Terra have an issue with the direction Sora was suggesting they go in? If he did, why hadn't he said anything?

"I just wonder if it's truly what you think is best or if..."

Riku's eyes narrowed. He doesn't like what he's implying. "You think I just blindly do whatever Sora says? Is that how you think of me?"

"I'm just asking, in the heat of the moment, are you SURE that Darkness didn't influence Sora in some way in order for him to make that decision? The decision to imprison Darkness in himself?"

"I'm positive!" Riku answered firmly. "Darkness was just as surprised as I was. Even Sora didn't know until that moment. In fact, Darkness had counted on us not having our combined keyblade at all. It thought it knew Sora well enough that it was confident that it convinced Sora earlier to break our bond, thereby destroying our ability to summon it. It bet wrong."

"Your dream eater connection...and you're still not breaking it off?" he asked.

"No, especially not now when Darkness is threatening Sora with nightmares. If it's where it wants to be, why would it have threatened Sora?"

Terra says nothing.

"I get it. You were possessed for over a decade. But that hasn't and won't happen to Sora. I won't let it."

"My own master was deceived. I don't want what happened to him to happen to you as well. Xehanort may have been good once. My master would not have cared for him so much if he wasn't. But something happened to change him. That something could happen to Sora too. If you just ignore that possibility, you're both doomed to follow the same path as those two."

"It won't happen that way. I won't let it. We're not...we're not like those two."

"I know," Terra smiled. "You're better."


	15. Love to Share

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Riku make a big decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Trauma-Induced Anorexia Recovery

"I wasn't sure how long I was going to be stuck there...conserving food and power made me feel like I was winning somehow. The more I saved, the more I thought I was ensuring I would see Riku again. I guess...somewhere along the way I got mad at myself if I gave in to my hunger. "I could've lasted a little longer." or "I wasn't _that_ hungry." or "I didn't need to sleep, the shields could've stayed off for a few more hours."...these were the kinds of thoughts I would have."

Sora is 25 now and is still going to therapy, as is Riku, now 26. Fairy Godmother is a wonderful and patient listener. While not a licensed therapist by any means, she had a warm and comforting presence without judgement. They saw her separately once a week. Sometimes they went together, but some things were easier to say without the other there. Admitting that was hard at first. In fact, they both felt guilty for feeling that way, but it was easier when they admitted it to each other and found out the feeling was mutual. Fairy Godmother assured them it was perfectly healthy to feel this way about some things. After all, they're their own people, and not wanting to share some things NOW doesn't mean they won't want to share them in the future, nor does it mean they love each other any less.

Even after doing this for nearly a year now, Sora still continued to feel lighter after every session. It took a long time for him to open up after he got back. He thought time on its own would be enough to heal, but when his eating habits still didn't improve, something had to change. The knowledge weighing on his heart felt lifted knowing that somebody else knows what he does. It was different from talking to Master Yen Sid or Riku. Both were good to talk to, of course, but Fairy Godmother didn't clench her fists with worry, nor did she close her eyes and stroke her beard while considering the ramifications of such knowledge or his actions.

His heart is burdened with much knowledge now of other worlds, of other futures beyond this one. He had seen so many pasts, presents, and futures, seen the struggles and triumphs of so many. Not only has he had glimpses into the stories of so many people, but he's felt the sorrow of so many hearts, their sorrow, their joy, their pain, their love. There was so much that he didn't dare let himself process in the moment, not after he struggled so much with it after the first six months. It would've been easier to just turn it all off, to not care, to not allow himself to feel. But doing that would mean cutting himself from feeling Riku, and then he would've really been lost. To feel for Riku meant feeling for everybody else too. Somewhere along the way, he really might have stopped feeling for a while if it weren't for Tron reaching out to him. He can't remember that month. He's pretty sure that's how long it was. A month of bleak darkness amongst a seemingly never-ending sea of despair. He had hurt so much for so long that he had become numb. But it took the warm touch of a friend to snap him out of it and it kept him going.

But now knowing what he does now, he feels a sense of responsibility, a responsibility to use it wisely to aid in the future he wants to build. But these things take time and first he needs to get his strength back. He's been recovering at a good pace. Body fat slowly returning at a healthy rate. Appetite slowly improving. But there was a long period where he unintentionally hoarded food in the kitchen, buying extras for missions and overstocking the gummi ship "just in case". It wasn't just eating normally, either. He needed to regain the muscle he had lost. Turns out sitting around in a ship for a year isn't very good for your keyblade-swinging arm. He had tried to combat this in the first month of being trapped, but he became so obsessed with making sure he kept an eye on everything that he just skipped it, opting to exercise again when he was finally free of that hell hole.

After each session, he liked to go home and tend to his herb garden. Basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme...all had wonderful smells that helped bring his appetite back. He would then go and make a lunch for him and Riku. Sometimes they would talk, but other times they wouldn't and lounge around, enjoying each other's company while fighting off the urge to nap. Today Sora wanted to talk. He wanted to talk like they did during their honeymoon, when they were happy and anything felt possible. It was only four years ago, but it felt so long ago now. 

Lovemaking was another thing that suffered a smidge when Sora had gotten back. He was so skinny and frail that even being held by Riku hurt, no matter how badly he wanted to be wrapped up in his arms. Riku knew it, too, and handled him like glass. He was so sweet and gentle that Sora would often cry and also be so frustrated because he missed when they could just passionately bury themselves in each other with abandon. But they were patient with each other and built themselves back up. Over time becoming more in tune with each other than ever before.

Their love was deeper and more complete than it's ever been but maybe it was finally time to share it with another, Sora wondered.

"Riku..."

"Hm?"

"I've been thinking..."

"Sounds painful," Riku joked playfully as they idly swung on their bench swing.

Sora couldn't help giggling, though he was hoping to approach this topic a little more seriously. "Do you ever think about Even's offer?"

"Mm-hmm. You?"

"Yeah, especially lately."

Riku nodded and squeezed Sora's hand with a soft smile. "Do you think..."

"I mean, I'll admit I'm a little scared. But they say you're never REALLY ready to be a parent. You just go for it. And I think...I think I want to. But only if you do, too!"

"I think...I think we are ready. I know we have plenty of love to give. That's all you really need, right?"

Sora smiled happily at his husband. "Right!"

"So...are we going to make the call?"

"Yes!"

"We're doing this?"

"We're doing this!"

Riku pulled him closer into a deep kiss, his heart so full he thought it was going to burst. Sora was so overwhelmed with joy that he cried as he held Riku tightly.

Both were so overjoyed they almost forgot they still had to make the phone call. They decided to call the next day after they calmed themselves down a bit. After all, this was a big decision. For tonight, they made a lavish dinner and opened a bottle of wine, talking all about it as they walked around the house and imagined sharing it with a baby. It was like seeing their home in a whole new light as they tried to decided which room would be the nursery.

"How long do you think it takes to make a baby?" Sora asked.

Riku sipped his wine with a chuckle. "Usually nine months."

"No, I mean for Even to make one, obviously. We'll need time to prepare."

"I'm sure it'll take some time. After all, this isn't a replica. It's a whole new person, a BABY person at that."

"We'll have to be sure to ask him."

"Just be glad you don't have to carry it for nine months like a typical child," Riku snickered.

"Wait, why would it be ME carrying it?" Sora huffed while taking another sip. "You're stronger than I am, so it'd make more sense if YOU were the baby carrier."

"Yeah, but you have better birthing hips," Riku grinned while wrapping an arm around Sora's waist. "And you have a cuter butt," he added before giving said butt a firm squeeze.

Sora reddened. "What does my butt have to do with any of that?"

Riku shrugged, "I heard a bigger butt means your kids will have a better immune system."

Sora snorted and playfully shoved Riku away. "Imagine either of us being pregnant. You'd be grumpy all the time," the brunette predicted.

It was Riku's turn to huff this time as they walked to the living room to sit on the couch. "Yeah, well you'd probably whine all the time."

"Of course I would! Being pregnant is hard!"

The two broke down in a fit of giggles. "Well thankfully we get to skip that part," Riku smiled as he grabbed the wine bottle and topped off both their glasses. "I have a feeling the baby might sleep in our room for a little bit, so that might give us more time to set up a nursery."

"No way! There's no working on a nursery when the baby's here. We wouldn't have the time or energy!" Sora pointed out.

"So which room then?"

"Maybe the empty room beside ours? The one we've been using for storage?"

"I guess that's as good as any. But when they're older we should move them further away, I think."

"Definitely," Sora agreed.

Riku looked around the living room. "We have a LOT of baby-proofing to do."

Sora's face fell, "You're right. We'll need baby gates everywhere, too."

"This is going to be a lot of work!" Riku laughed.

"Changing your mind?"

"Not a chance," the silverette grinned as he gave Sora a kiss.

Sora giggled and returned the sweet kiss. "So when do we tell everybody?" he asked as he nuzzled into Riku.

Riku hummed thoughtfully as he wrapped an arm around him. "Hmm, maybe a few days after we talk to Even. Let's allow ourselves some time to celebrate by ourselves, first."

Sora nodded. "I like that idea. So...baby shower before or after?" he giggled.

"How are these things done? Usually it's before, right? So everybody can give you baby stuff?"

"Yeah, but part of me kinda wants to do it after? Maybe the day after so we can get a chance to be acquainted before everybody else sees them?"

"Maybe...we can bring everybody to Radiant Garden so they can be with us and have the party then?"

"Hmm...like they would be if they were in the waiting room for a typical birth?"

"Yeah, something like that. And then we can have the party at our place later."

"Yeah, I think that would be fun. Plus, I don't think we would want to share the news with EVERYBODY right away, you know?"

"Right, I was just thinking that, too."

"What about names?" Sora asked while he sipped his wine thoughtfully.

"Something simple like ours," Riku replied quickly.

Sora nodded, "Unisex, too. I don't want to know the gender until we see them. I want it to be a surprise."

"I like that idea. Come to think of it, our names are unisex, too.

"Mm-hmm. Maybe we should name them after a star."

Riku smiled at the thought. "I like the idea, but a lot of the stars have long names."

"That's true, and named after animals. Hmm..."

"Flower name?"

"Don't things named after flowers die young?" Sora blinked.

"That's morbid."

"Tree? Fruit?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Hmm...I'm still stuck on star names."

"How about just that? Star?"

"Just star?" Sora blinked.

"Hm...needs work."

"We'll think of something. Maybe we just have to feel it."

"You think we'll know when we see them?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Plus, we can look for ideas in the meantime. There are tons of books, after all."

"That is true."

"But let's not overthink it, either."

"Agreed."

"I like two syllable names," Sora smiled up at Riku.

"Two syllables sounds perfect."

"That should narrow it down," the brunette giggled.

"Totally," Riku snorted.

A comfortable silence fell between them for a time as sipped their wine, both flushed with excitement and their minds reeling as they imagined raising a child together...and so soon! It was going to become a reality. The more they thought about it, the more they scooched together until Sora was in Riku's lap and Riku's arms were wrapped around him, holding him tightly while Sora idly played with the fabric of his shirt. "So...what about everything else?"

"Everything else?" Riku asked quietly.

"You know, the traveling...the plans...all of it."

"I guess the practical thing would be to take turns working until the baby is old enough to come with us."

"And school?" Sora stared down into his wine glass. "Do we want them to pick up a keyblade?"

"I think that should be up to them."

"Yeah...that seems fair. So until then, normal school, you think?"

"Middle school on the islands?"

"Maybe grade school and then decide? It would be EASIER if they could go to Aqua and Terra's school. At least we'd know they're safe. But then again, I'm sure our parents would love to look after them if we needed to be away."

"We'll figure it out," Riku sighed. This was a lot to think of at once.

"Terra and Aqua make it look so easy," Sora pouted.

"At least our little one will have plenty of friends to play with," Riku smiled.

"For sure," Sora grinned.

"We may be getting a baby differently than everybody else, but I want everything else to be as close to..."

"Normal?" Sora asked.

Riku shook his head. "Not normal. Just...I want our baby to know they're loved and not have to feel like they're any different."

"Well they're going to be special, no doubt about that. They'll be ours, after all," Sora laughed.

"Of course," Riku smiled. "But what do we tell them when they inevitably ask?"

The brunette giggled again, surprising Riku a little bit. "We lie like all parents do!"

Riku laughed. "Of course!"

Sora laughed harder, "But our lie will be the BEST lie. Something fantastical so they'll feel special but also the truth."

"So no stork or cabbage patch for our kid, huh?"

"Definitely not! Maybe something like your grandpa said about your grandma."

"That she came from another world?"

"Yeah! But if we're naming them after a star, we can say they came from the sky. Another world is technically the truth, and the worlds are in the sky. So we'll just tell them we wished upon a star and POOF!"

Riku laughed. "And then after? How old before we tell them?"

"Guess that depends on whether or not they can handle the truth," Sora answered a little more solemnly. "Fifteen? By then they might understand better and they'll be able to ask questions."

Riku nodded. "It sounds easy enough, but I worry about other people asking too."

"Other people?" Sora tilted his head.

"Sora, two married men just showing up with a baby that looks either/or both of us? They'll ask questions."

"Right. They're not adopted. They're ours. And that's what we'll tell them."

"Just like that?"

"That's all anybody needs to know," Sora answered firmly. "There is no mother. He has us. He's ours."

"He?" Riku chuckled.

"Oops!" Sora laughed. "Or she!" he corrected himself.

"I know we're doing this randomly, but what are your guesses?" Riku asked.

"Boy," Sora answered honestly. "Plus, if we have more, I like the idea of our kids having a cool older brother," he chuckled.

"Of course you would," Riku rolled his eyes playfully. 

"Well what's your guess then, wise guy?"

"I think you're right. But I'd be thrilled to have a girl, too."

"I know our moms sure would," Sora snickered.

The two continued to talk for hours, long after the bottle of wine was empty. By the time they got themselves to bed, the sun was coming up, but even then, they found it hard to get settled. Fueled by giddiness and good wine, Sora found himself straddling Riku's hips as they got into bed. "I can't wait to have a baby with you," he whispered as he stared down at the gorgeous love of his life.

Riku hummed appreciatively as he stirred his hips beneath Sora's and gripped his hip bones in his hands. "You know, we might be skipping the pregnancy part, but we could still do the fun part."

Sora's face flushed as he ground his hips back into Riku's. "So...I guess I'm carrying after all, huh~"

"We can take turns," Riku smirked before turning the light off. "But you're first!"


	16. "We're having a baby!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku and Sora push the baby button!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Therapy and Discussion of Trauma-Induced Anorexia recovery

Riku ran his tongue over Sora's lower lip as his fingers traced constellations into the scars on his husband's back, causing the other to moan wantonly, his hot breath intermingling with his. Sora was whining and pleading for him, their sweaty bodies flush as they gripped and writhed against each other. Sora reached his tongue out to meet Riku's and they swallowed each other again, their kiss messy and lips barely staying connected as their bodies bucked into each other.

_"So tell me how you felt when you first saw him in the gummi ship," Fairy Godmother inquired gently._

_"I was so happy but then I was so scared when I saw he wasn't awake. I thought I had lost him just as he had gotten back. But then he smiled at me and it was like the light had come back in my life again."_

_Fairy Godmother hummed fondly with a soft smile but said nothing as she waited for Riku to continue._

_"But...I still have nightmares...about how he looked. He was skin and bones..." His voice wavered as he wiped at his eyes. "He had sores all over from sitting in his armor...and he was so pale. He had these dark circles under his eyes. I had never seen him that tired before. His hair had gotten so long. I almost didn't recognize him. I even thought...had he not had greeted me the way he did, would I have even thought he was my husband at all?"_

_"Oh dear."_

_"The fear came back when he slept again. I didn't leave his side the entire week. I devoured his nightmares so he could rest. The things I saw confirmed he had seen things that I could never imagine. Nightmares of children slaughtering each other. Thousands of hearts drifting up into a black sky. Homes being raided by bloodthirsty creatures. I tore the nightmares apart. I was so angry. I ripped them apart vengefully so he could rest. I didn't want him to cry anymore. And when he finally woke up...I felt useless."_

_"Useless? Why, dear?"_

"Riku...Riku..." Sora moaned his name breathlessly as he clutched at his shoulders, his hips bouncing as he rode his hips, Riku's manhood sheathed deep inside of him.

"Sora...Sora!" Riku moaned in kind as he jerked his hips up to meet the bouncing brunette's movements, thrusting as deep as he could go just to watch Sora throw his head back as he cried out in pleasure, his chest thrust forward and his spine curved magnificently, an image that Riku wanted to have forever burned into his memory.

_"Before...when he was hurt...my touch made him feel better. I could hold him and make his pain go away. This time...it hurts when I touch him...No matter how badly he wants me to, I can't bring myself to hold him as tightly as I want to because I know it will hurt. This time there's nothing I can do to help him and it scares me."_

_"I see."_

_"He's not the same as he was. But...that's okay, because neither am I. None of us are the same people we were yesterday or the day before, so we're definitely not the same as we were a year ago. But I think he wants to move on like it didn't happen and I'd like to give him that...but I also don't. I can't pretend that I didn't just spend a year worrying about whether or not my new husband is alive no more than he can pretend that he didn't go through what he just did. I think to do so...would just be a waste. Is that selfish of me?"_

_"I don't think so," she shook her head. "Pain is one of the ingredients for growth. There's no getting around it. But what you CAN decide is where that growth will take you. You can let let it take you into a dark corner or towards the sun."_

_Riku smiled. "You're absolutely right."_

Riku poured his love into Sora and the brunette collapsed against his chest in a messy heap, their breaths racing as they wrapped their arms around each other. Hearts pounded against one another, beating loudly in their own ears as they recovered. "I love you," Riku whispered as he carded his fingers through Sora's sweaty locks. "I love you so much."

"I love you," the brunette whispered. "But...Don't...fall asleep..." Sora demanded as he breathed hotly into Riku's ear. "You're next."

. . .

After staying up all night and several rounds of "baby-making", the two were so exhausted they slept well into the afternoon. It wasn't until after Sora finished making them each a stack of pancakes that they remembered they were going to call Even today and then the giddy stomach butterflies were back in full force. They didn't want to just call and be all "Make the baby!". This was a big moment. So they went outside to calm their nerves, sitting on their favorite rug on the deck as they took in the afternoon sun.

It was a little chilly today. Spring had just sprung.

"Are we ready?" Sora asked, holding out his gummi phone with Even's name highlighted in his contacts.

"Yeah," Riku nodded. "Let's do it."

"Okay!" Sora smiled and hit the green icon. They held hands while the phone rang. Sora put it on speaker so they could tell Even together, their hearts racing together with every passing second.

"Hello?" Even picked up.

Sora felt his voice catch in his throat as he tried to speak and hurried to clear it. "Ahem, Even?" His voice squeaked and he slapped his palm over his face.

"Master Sora? Everything alright?""

The brunette dragged an embarrassed hand down his face. Riku was trying so hard not to laugh. "Want me to...?"

"Please!" Sora grumbled as he handed over the phone.

"Even, it's Riku."

"Good afternoon, Master Riku," Even greeted politely, but it was clear by his tone of voice that he was growing impatient, so Riku decided to cut straight to the chase.

"We've done a lot of talking, about your offer, that is."

"You have?" The tone of Even's voice was excited now and hopeful.

"Yes," Sora quickly chimed in. "If the offer is still on the table, we've decided to...to..."

"We've decided we're ready," Riku finished for him. "We want to start our family."

"Fantastic news. Then we better get started. How soon can you get here?"

"Uh..."

"If I drive, ten minutes!" Sora answered before dashing off to grab the keys to Excalibur parked down below.

"Wait, Sora--"

"See you in ten minutes," Even chortled. "Meet me at the gate when you arrive."

"Sure, thanks, Even!"

The scientist barely hung before Sora was back with keys in hand, who then grabbed Riku's hand and pulled him after himself to force him to jump off the deck with him. "Let's go!"

* * *

One quick gummi ship ride later, Riku was doubled over at the gate as he tried not to be sick. "You...promised...me..." he panted.

"yes, but this is a special occasion," Sora simply stated unapologetically as he patted Riku on the back.

After a moment, Riku straightened up. "If you were the father of my future children, I'd throttle you."

"Hehe," Sora giggled and gave Riku a kiss. "Lucky me~"

Even arrived and opened the gate to let them in. "My apologies. Normally you'd be able to open the gate on your own, but the security system has been a little uncooperative today."

"No worries," Sora assured him, though he was thinking to himself that locked doors don't really matter when you're a keyblade wielder as they followed him to his private lab, he and Riku's hands clasped between them.

On the giant monitor that took up most of the back wall, Sora and Riku could see both their data had been pulled up. On each side of the screen were rendered images of themselves that resembled blueprints, their characteristics mapped and bulleted and a constant stream of other data was listed in text boxes below those images. Between them was a blank box and one button that simply said "Go". Even proudly led them over to the keyboard. "If you're ready, both of you simply need to hit the space bar and the program will do the rest."

"Easy as that, huh?" Sora asked as both he and Riku hovered their fingers over it.

"Even, how long does it take to you know...make the baby?" Riku asked.

"If all goes well, three months from today, you'll have your very own child on July 31st."

"A Leo, huh?" Riku grinned.

"How do you know that off the top of your head?" Sora asked.

"I did a lot of reading while you were gone."

"Ahem," Even cleared his throat impatiently.

"Oh, right. We wanted it to be a surprise, right? So we should probably look away from the screen," Riku suggested.

"Oh, right!" The two of them turned away. "Wanna count us off, Even?" Sora asked.

"Certainly. On three. One, two...three!"

The two hit the space bar and they could hear beeping and booping from the computer as it randomized and compiled their data. Sora threw himself at Riku! "We did it! We did it, Riku!"

"Right!" Riku caught him and hugged him tightly. "In...in three months!"

"Hopefully you'll be prepared by then?" Even quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Three months is plenty of time!" Sora cheered. Just then there was one last resounding eep from the computer behind them.

"Your data is compiled. Do you want to know the biological sex before I get started?" Even asked.

They both shook their heads. "We want it to be a surprise," Sora answered.

"If you're sure. Though it might be easier for you to pick a name if you narrowed it down."

"We're already picking a unisex name. So it should be fine," Riku nodded.

"Although..." Sora pondered. "Our moms are gonna want to know what cute clothes to splurge on."

"All the more reason NOT to know. We're not backing out now!" Riku laughed. "They're just gonna have to deal."

Even gave an amused smirk. "As you wish."

"And don't tell anyone either, Even," Sora grinned.

"My lips are sealed," he assured them. "I'll call you in three months."

With the two being dismissed, they thanked Even one last time before they let themselves out and made their way back the courtyard. The two walked in relative silence to the town square, hands clutched as they practically vibrated with excitement. "I know we said we'd take some time for ourselves before we told anybody the news..." Riku started.

"I know, I wanna tell them too!" Sora finished for him. "But who do we call first!?"

"Right!? I can't decide! This is just...it's so...!" Riku couldn't even find the words!

"I know!" Sora let go of Riku hands to clutch at his own hair in disbelief, his eyes as wide as saucers as if it was just now hitting him.

"We're...we're having a baby!" Riku almost shouted, his voice breathless with excitement. His own eyes were wide as was the smile on his face as he grabbed Sora's hands again, resisting the urge to bounce on the balls of his feet.

"We're having a baby!" Sora shouted loudly, smiling so broadly he was showing teeth. He for one could NOT stop bouncing as he gripped Riku's hands.

Riku couldn't hold it in anymore and held his arms out for Sora, who leaped at him with complete abandon. The two laughed giddily as Riku caught him and spun them both around happily. "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" he shouted.

"I love you too, Riku! I can't wait! AAAAAAAAAA!!!!" he screamed gleefully. "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!"

"Wait, what?" Yuffie's voice rang out from behind them, stopping them dead in their tracks. "You two? Really!?"

Sora looked up at Riku. "We should call Kairi first!"

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" the ninja demanded, but Sora and Riku were already on their phones.

"What's going on?" Aerith asked, walking by with a basket full of flowers.

"Apparently they're having a baby," Yuffie told her with her arms crossed as she watched the two continue to freak out in the square.

Aerith clutched her basket. "A baby!? REALLY!?"

"Kairi!" Sora called. "We got big news!"

"What?" the redhead's voice answered, a little alarmed by the volume of Sora's voice.

"Riku and I are having a baby!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" she screamed, her voice loud over the speaker. "OMIGOSH, WHERE ARE YOU!? Have you told anyone else??"

"No, you're the first," Riku told her.

"A baby!!!" Aerith squealed and ran over to hug the both of them. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Aerith!" they called out in surprise!

Kairi was still freaking out over the phone. "DON'T MOVE, I'LL BE RIGHT OVER!"

"We're in Radiant Garden!" Riku quickly told her before she hung up.

"Omigoodness, have you told your parents yet?" Aerith asked.

Sora shook his head. "Not yet, we were just going to call and--"

"You can't just say that over the phone!" Aerith gasped. "You need to announce it! Take them out to dinner, throw a party! It's your first baby, you need to make it big!"

The two looked to each other nervously. They've never seen Aerith this excited before. Suddenly they heard the whir of an engine above their heads. Kairi had arrived in her keyblade glider! She didn't even bother making a proper landing, her rose gold armor clanking as she jumped down and dismissed it, ripping off her helmet to greet the two with a face flushed with excitement. "BABY!" she shouted, throwing her arms around her two best friends and almost knocking them over. Happy tears streamed from her eyes and the boys found themselves crying too.

"Who died?" leon asked, walking by with Cid with boxes of spare gummi parts for the shop.

"They're having a baby!" Yuffie filled them in.

"Who?" Cid asked.

"Sora and Riku!"

"Wha--?" he gawked in disbelief, his toothpick falling from his mouth.

"That's great news," Leon smiled.

"Yeah, but they're causing a scene," Yuffie laughed.

"When's the baby due?" Aerith asked.

"Three months!" Sora and Riku answered excitedly. 

Kairi and Aerith gaped. "That's not a lot of time!!!" they shouted, panicking on their behalf. They both grabbed Sora and Riku and dragged them to Aerith's place. "We got work to do!"

* * *

Kairi, Aerith, and Tifa helped them make a plan. Every detail was planned out for the next three months. But first, a party to announce the baby. They decided it would be best to prepare a dinner at their place and invite their families over. A nice picnic dinner on their beach sounded easy enough.

"Do we give out cigars or something?" Sora asked.

"Chocolate cigars, maybe. I don't think my parents have ever touched a cigar," Riku pondered.

"Mine neither," Sora laughed.

They shot ideas back and forth on how to make the announcement fun. They considered themed dishes or maybe a cake, but without the gender, they didn't know what colors to use.

"Maybe I can shoot fireworks or magic up a stork with a letter to interrupt dinner?" Sora suggested.

Riku hummed in thought. "Whenever my cousins make announcements, they showed off positive pregnancy tests or sonogram pictures, or they'd give little gifts that hinted at the news and let the parents figure it out. We don't have pictures or pregnancy tests though."

"And I'd feel weird asking Even to take a pic of the baby cooking. We know what blank replicas look like. They're not exactly..."

"Might be a little jarring, yeah," Riku agreed.

"Maybe we can set out little rattles? Next to the silverware?" Sora chuckled.

"How about..." Riku grinned. "They haven't been to the house in a while. They'll want to look inside. What if we left baby items laying out everywhere and have them figure it out?"

"OOH! Moms love to snoop! That'd be so fun! Now we just need to do some shopping!"

"Right! Let's go! We're burning daylight."

They had to go to the strip mall to find a baby supply store. On this side of the island, toys and things were traditionally homemade with a few exceptions so there wasn't a lot to choose from without going the extra distance to the inner "city". But they found a cute pair of baby shoes, baby bottles, a bib, wooden rattle, a few small stuffed animals, a couple of pacifiers, and a yellow onesie. After that, it was a rush to buy ingredients for dinner.

"Should we make deviled eggs?" Sora asked.

"Uh..." The idea of serving eggs at a baby announcement dinner...something about the imagery didn't sit right with Riku. They had talked about attempting a theme with the food. Sora even thought it'd be funny to serve baby food, like applesauce, peas and carrots, pureed things, and maybe even rice pudding. But Riku knew if they attempted to serve their families something like that, they'd invade the kitchen themselves and throw them out. So they decided on a meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed veggies on the side with homemade dinner buns.

"Hey, Riku," Sora grinned as he put the buns in. "Bun's in the oven."

"Pfft, just don't burn them. I'll go hide the toys."

"Leave the bottle next to the sink," Sora laughed.

"Definitely," Riku grinned.

"Ooh! Maybe leave the onesie in the bathroom! On top of the hamper!"

"Perfect!" Riku gave a thumbs up and ran off to do just that while Sora finished making dinner. One by one, he hid the items in plain sight, places that one would normally find baby items but would make somebody do a double take if they actually noticed them in the house. He put the baby shoes with their own shoes by the front door. He put the bib on the outdoor picnic table where they'd be having dinner. He put the new stuffed animals next to Sora's childhood otter and the baby penguin he gave him for Christmas in the living room. He pulled out their childhood fairy tale books and stacked them on the end table with the wooden rattle resting on top. He even left a pacifier on the couch and one on the floor and he put the onesie on top of the clothes hamper as per Sora's suggestion.

Hopefully it'd be enough, but if they couldn't catch on, that's still okay. Before they knew it, they heard Riku's family car pulling up outside. Riku hurried back to the kitchen and Sora clasped his hands. "Are we ready?"

Riku smiled and kissed the tip of Sora's nose. "We're ready."

They ran down to greet their parents, exchanging hugs and pleasantries before inviting them up to the treehouse for a drink before dinner. The group happily agreed, though Sora could already tell Riku's mother was holding back questions about the decor of the place. It's been a while since any of them had actually been inside their home. Sora's mom just looked like she wanted to play with everything, her eyes wide and excited as she took in all the bright and colorful items they've decorated their home with. Riku's dad, however, had this look on his face that screamed to Riku that he knew something was up. He even saw him elbow Sora's dad and nod towards the shoes, who blinked quizzically. But if they were suspicious, they didn't let it on, so Sora invited them all to have a seat in the living room while Riku fetched the wine.

Sora made small talk for a little bit before excusing himself to go check on the meatloaf, leaving the parents alone for a minute. Riku was still in the kitchen struggling with the cork. Apparently he broke it.

"Just open another bottle," Sora giggled.

"That'd probably be a good idea," Riku huffed, frustrated with the shredded cork that would no longer hold the bottle opener screw.

"AAAAAAA!!!!"

The two heard the scream and hurried to the doorway to listen. "Your mom wins," Riku grinned.

"I knew she wouldn't let me down," Sora laughed. They could hear the other parents scrambling to check on her, but stayed back so they listen a little longer.

"What is it!?" Riku's mom asked. It sounded like they were near the bathroom.

"It's a...It's a..."

Sora tip-toed over to peek around the corner. Sora's mom was holding up a tiny yellow baby onesie and Riku's mom couldn't even seem to form words. Riku peered over top of Sora's head, leaning over him so he could see too. That dads looked toward the doorframe suspiciously, as if they felt they were being pranked. "Should probably grab some champagne instead," Sora whispered.

"Good call." Riku hurried to grab it from the fridge, one of the bottles they've saved from their honeymoon.

"Maybe they were babysitting," one of the dads argued to which Riku's mom retorted, "The tags are still on!"

Sora bit his fist to keep from laughing as he waited on Riku who hurried over and handed Sora some of the champagne glasses to carry. With one last nod to each other, they came out of hiding. Sora's dad noticed them first and smiled widely. he already looked like he had tears in his eyes. "That doesn't look like wine."

Sora and Riku laughed. "You're absolutely right...grandpa," Riku grinned

The moms SCREAMED and nearly caused Riku and Sora to drop all the glasses they were holding. They hurried to set them down so they could exchange bone-crushing hugs. The moms were squeezing them the hardest as they bawled their eyes out. Even Riku's dad was looking emotional. Finally the crying and hug mobbing stopped long enough for them to start pouring the champagne.

"Well come on! Don't keep us in the dark!" Sora's mom pleaded. "Tell us the details!"

"Yes, please," Sora's dad urged.

"I know I have a few questions," Riku's dad smirked.

"More than a few!" Riku's mom spoke up.

Sora laughed, "We can talk about all of it over dinner. For now let's have a quick toast to the newest member of our family!" The group clinked glasses together and shouted their congratulations. After a few sips, it was a rush to get dinner served outside so they can eat and talk. 

Out on the beach, the area was lit with torches and candles while they ate at the picnic table. The meatloaf was a hit and the warm, filling meal seemed to calm them all a little as they filled their bellies. But when it came time to serve dessert (a pudding), they couldn't seem to hold back their questions any longer.

"So where's the little tyke coming from?" Riku's dad asked first.

Sora and Riku took a long sip of champagne. They had forgotten to discuss how they were going to explain this to their parents. "Well..." Sora started. "Um...they're coming from both of us."

Riku's mom raised a questioning eyebrow. "You got a surrogate?"

"Eh...kind of?" Sora looked to Riku for help.

Riku swallowed a bite of pudding before he answered. "We have a friend who...well..." he looked back to Sora, panicking a little, unsure if he could answer the question any better, but Sora gave him a little flick of his head to continue. "I guess we should explain some other things first."

Sora's eyes widened. He's right...they'd have to explain what replicas are, but is now really the time? "Umm...well...let's put it this way. We know a scientist and he umm...he offered to make us...a baby?" Sora explained cautiously.

"One that would have both our genetics," Riku quickly added. "It's a new science."

Sora's dad's eyebrows went really high. "A test tube baby? You know there's still an egg needed for that, right? So who's the egg donor?"

Riku and Sora blinked. This was going to be tricky. "There is no egg donor. The baby isn't...made that way," Sora tried to explain.

"The baby starts as an empty shell. It will grow just like any other person," Riku elaborated. "But the traits it has are given to it as data, like programming a computer. Sora and I...well, the scientist we know has data from us, down to the finest detail. We went to him today and randomized it, and whatever the computer came up with is what's going to determine the baby's DNA and what it will look like. So in every sense of the word, they're ours."

Riku's dad had the beginnings of a frown on his face. He looked puzzled and conflicted, to say the least. "Has...this friend of yours made others this way?" he asked carefully.

Sora looked to his mom. "Not specifically THIS way. But you have met people already who are here with us today thanks to his work. Before...their hearts and who they are would've been lost or trapped forever if they didn't have bodies of their own. Our friend made them vessels so they could live normal lives. And they're all doing great. So we have confidence that this baby will be just as amazing," Sora assured them.

"Others?" Sora's mom asked. "That we know?"

"What Even makes are called Replicas. They're copies of people that are close to the real thing. When they don't have a person to replicate, they're just empty shells. Naminé, Xion, Roxas...these are all people whose hearts now reside in replicas."

"But what happened to..." Riku's mom stopped herself. She wanted to know what happened to their original selves, but maybe this wasn't the right time. After all, this is supposed to be a celebration. "I mean, when can we expect the newest member of our family?" she asked instead. 

"I think he said July 31st," Sora answered.

Their parents gasped. "That's not a lot of time!" Sora's mother cried.

"So we keep hearing," Riku smirked into his champagne glass.

Over dessert, the moms and dads made plans, offering to get them the required reading, helping with the nursery, and of course to dig the old baby furniture out of their attics. Sora and Riku were pleased to see them all excited again. This baby was going to be loved, that's for sure.


	17. Make Way For Baby!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Riku only have three months to prepare for the new baby!

Word had gotten out quickly that Sora and Riku were expecting, on and off island. Aqua told them that she too was expecting and was due that winter, of which Sora and Riku were overjoyed to hear. It was great having another new set of parents to talk to. Ariel had even sent news that she's had her own baby just over a year ago, and hopes they would bring their little one to meet baby Melody sometime.

The excitement was palpable and every day felt like a frenzy as they filled their days making preparations for the baby and reading books on the subject. "You know, I don't think I've ever held a baby," Sora realized.

"Well we gotta fix that quick," Riku laughed. He gave one of his cousins a call, one he actually liked. After screaming for joy, she was more than happy to invite them over so they could "practice" on her own new baby. They brought her a cake as a gift and congratulated her since they hadn't gotten to do so properly before. When she came out with her little boy, a tiny thing only three months old with a head full of fuzzy black hair, Sora suddenly felt really nervous. "He's so tiny!" he almost sobbed.

Riku's cousin giggled. "You want to hold him?"

"I uh...how?"

Riku couldn't keep the smile off his face as he watched his cousin show Sora how to hold the tiny, wiggly bundle; how to cradle him while supporting his head. Riku's cousin was very patient and kind as they spent the whole day with her asking questions as they "practiced" with her baby. She seemed very pleased to have an extra set of helping hands for the day, even trusting them to look after the little one while she took a long, much-needed nap.

Sora was in awe of the cute little guy. Even learning how to change his diaper made him laugh a little. Riku had a little trouble with that one. It smelled pretty bad. When the baby cried, Sora was quick to make him smile again while they figured out what he wanted. They took turns feeding and burping him and playing and by the time the baby was put to sleep, they felt like THEY needed a nap too!

"You two are naturals!" Riku's cousin praised.

"Nah, I think he went easy on us," Riku chuckled.

After that, they helped babysit a few more times, just to get the hang of it. In the meantime, their dads were excitedly restoring some of the old family baby furniture, cleaning, sanding, and re-painting. Their moms were crocheting and sewing all sorts of clothes and stuffed animals, so many that Riku and Sora weren't even sure they'd have room for all of it! Sora's mom especially had become a cloth diaper-making machine! Apparently she knows how to make THE best ones. At her insistence, Sora and Riku scrambled to get the fabric she needed. They even contributed some of the fabric they had intended for other things, the softer ones, at least. She informed them that babies grew really fast, so they needed to be prepared with lots of different sizes in advance.

Kairi also told them they needed to put up a list of things they still needed on kingstagram so their friends would know what they could get them for the baby shower. The two felt a little bad about asking for things, but three months was not a lot of time for them to find EVERYTHING they needed by themselves, especially on their tiny island world, so they did what they were told.

Of course, since they are on such a small island, people took notice when they saw Sora and Riku's dads airing out the old furniture and grew curious. Not long after, rumors spread like wild fire about Sora and Riku expecting. Their dads were hounded with plenty of questions, but all they said was yes, they had a grandchild on the way. When asked who the actual father was they simply said Sora and Riku both are. It's their child. Of course, this did nothing to quell the whispers, but Sora and Riku didn't have time to pay the rumors any mind.

The nursery was coming along great and Naminé had even come by to paint a lovely mural for them with cute and colorful dream eaters playing on a jungle gym made of rainbows. The furniture their dads brought looked amazing. Each brought a cradle, one for the living room and bedroom, a crib, rocking chair, changing table, dresser, and even a high chair.

"I can't believe you guys kept all of this stuff!" Sora exclaimed as he took in the sight of the nearly finished nursery.

"Well of course," Sora's dad chuckled as Sora gave him a hug. "It's tradition."

"Also we're too lazy to make new furniture," Riku's dad chortled.

"You just mean you're not that good at it," Sora's dad smirked.

"Thank you both," Riku smiled gratefully. "We wouldn't have been able to do all of this without your help."

"Nah, you definitely could've," Riku's dad smiled.

"But thanks for letting us help out anyway," Sora's dad snickered.

The two also had the baby shower plans to look over. They decided on July 31st that they and their families would arrive at Radiant Garden together via gummi ship and they would go to the lab together. Sora and Riku will meet the baby first before bringing them out to meet their families and they'll spend the first half of the day getting acquainted while everybody else gets everything set up. Then the party will start early evening if all goes well.

With the plan settled upon, they had scrambled to make announcements and send out invitations. As they added more and more names to the list, there was one name that they kept going back and forth on.

"Are you SURE we should invite Maleficent?" Riku asked one more time.

"We promised her. It'd be worse if we didn't," Sora pointed out.

"You mean YOU promised her," Riku corrected.

"Sure, but she would've found out about it anyway and be offended we didn't invite her regardless. At least this way, it'd be bad manners if she crashed a party she was invited to." Riku wasn't entirely convinced. "I have a good feeling about this," Sora assured him.

"I suppose it WOULD be pretty stupid if she decided to pull something with so many keyblade wielders around," Riku conceded. "Plus, she might not even come."

"Exactly! But she'll be satisfied because she got an invitation. Win-win!"

Two weeks to go and the two hoped by now they could breathe a little easier. They even accepted a few missions, just some quick ones, and then took the last week to make sure the final touches were in place. The invitations have been received. The baby shower preparations were finished. The nursery was finished. The baby seat for the gummi ship will be there for them in Radiant Garden. They did tests to make sure it'd be safe for a baby to even fly on the gummi ship. Vanitas and Roxas even volunteered their own services to escort the ship on the way home so they can take out potential heartless for them.

All that was left now was to wait. Their excitement was clearly written on their faces, no matter how tired they were. Sora and Riku each thought the other was glowing with bliss and kept exchanging fond looks and happy kisses whenever they got the chance. So when they went to the market at the usual time to grab some eggs, it shouldn't have been a surprise when the old lady vendor gave them a huge, knowing grin. "Could it be the rumors are true?" she asked.

"Which ones?" Sora asked almost a little cheekily.

"My old ears have heard you two are expecting a little one soon?"

Riku smiled, "You heard right. Just one more week."

"That's wonderful news! you keep that little darling fat and happy, okay?" she chortled.

"Oh, we will!" Sora snickered.

"Take some extra eggs, dear. We need to fatten you up, too!"

Sora laughed and tried to refuse, but she slipped some extra eggs into his shopping bag anyway. Riku chuckled but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a couple of other people starting and whispering. He could feel more eyes on them and noticed there were more hushed voices despite the market getting more crowded by the minute. He turned and could see some of them quickly averting their gazes. Sora could hear them too, probably better than Riku, but he kept a smile on his face as he politely bowed his thanks to the kind old woman.

"So it's true?"  
"Where'd they get a baby from?"  
"Whose do you think it is?"  
"Do you think they paid someone?"  
"Poor kid."

"We should go," Riku grabbed for Sora's hand.

"Yeah," Sora agreed and the two left to get themselves out of sight. But before they could get to their usual secluded place, Sora's eye caught the pre-school playground and he stopped and stared at the kids playing with each other in their cute little uniforms without a care in the world.

Riku looked to see why Sora stopped and watched too, squeezing Sora's hand tighter. "It'll be okay," Riku assured him.

"I know," Sora murmured in a voice barely above a whisper. "I just hope...they'll be kind. People can be so cruel."

"Even if they are, our baby will have us."

"Right."

When they got home, they marked another day on the calendar. July 31st circled in red.

"Their birthday is almost exactly halfway between ours," Riku mused.

Sora counted on his fingers but gave up on the math, choosing to take Riku's word for it. "Great timing," he grinned. "And you said they'll be a Leo?"

"Yeah, a little lion," Riku grinned proudly but saw Sora giving him a cheesy smile. The bridge of his nose reddened just a smidge. "I did a lot of reading while you were gone," he explained.

"Yeah, you said that. But astrology?" Sora snickered.

"I got bored," Riku huffed.

"Hehe," Sora slipped his arms around Riku's waist. "I'm sure it WAS boring without me around, huh?"

Riku hugged him back. "SO boring," he snickered. "You know, when the baby gets here, we won't have a lot of time for...other things."

Sora's eyes widened. "Shoot! You're right! We gotta get busy while we still can!" He giggled before yanking Riku's hand to drag him to the bedroom.


	18. BABY!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new heart is born!

The day had finally come. Sora and Riku had the hardest time falling asleep after Even called to confirm that their new bundle of joy would be ready to meet them in the morning. Sora was snuggled into Riku's back and holding him tightly, randomly squeezing and making excited eeps into Riku's ear until the Riku almost couldn't stand it anymore.

"Soraaaaaaa, you're squeezing too hard..." Riku complained as Sora almost gave him the Heimlich for the 20th time.

"I'm so excited! I can't sleep!"

Riku playfully rolled his eyes and turned around in Sora's arms to give him a kiss. "I'm excited, too. But we need to sleep while we still can. It might be the last full night's sleep we'll get in a while."

Sora returned the kiss before burying his face into Riku's neck. "You're right." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Do you think they'll like us?"

Riku's eyes closed as Sora slotted perfectly into him, their limbs inevitably sliding together like a puzzle. "I sure hope so," he teased.

"Whaaaaaa?"

"They will. How could they not?" Riku murmured with a smile. "Go to sleep."

Sora chuckled. "Good night, Riku."

"Good night, Sora."

During breakfast the two munched on toast while Donut-Rox wove in and out of their legs, purring non-stop as he sensed their excitement.

"You're gonna be a big brother, Donut!" Sora giggled.

"Mrow!"

"Yup," Riku chuckled. "Once the grandmas, grandpas, and Aunt Kairi get here, we're getting you a new brother or sister."

"Mroooow~"

When said future grandparents arrived, it was a rush to get them on the gummi ship. Riku insisted on driving Highwind with the parents and left Sora and Kairi to drive Excalibur so Sora can fight any potential heartless mobs, though Sora was pretty sure Riku didn't trust Sora to drive without freaking out their parents. Vanitas and Roxas have supposedly already combed the route and taken out the heartless already, but better safe than sorry. Obviously, they don't want to be fighting heartless with their families on board, especially since they were nervous about flying as it is.

"Riku will take good care of you," Sora assured his parents. "Kairi and I will be right outside the window."

"Roxas and Vanitas will be with us, too," Kairi added. "Be sure to wave to them!"

Sora and Kairi took off first and Riku followed after. They already decided to not use warp tunnels, but even without them, the drive should only be half an hour. In the sky, Roxas and Vanitas joined them in their own gummi ships, and they flanked Riku on both sides as Sora took the lead. Both the ships were clearly very fighter jet-inspired, Roxas's being black and white with checkerboard on the wings and Vanitas's being black with red and purple accents. Side by side, the ships looked pretty intimidating compared to the colorful Highwind and Excalibur.

"Thirteen to Highwind," Roxas called over the radio.

Riku smirked. "Thirteen, this is Highwind. How are we looking?"

"You're still clear. You can also speed up a little, you know. There aren't any meteors for a while."

"Roger that, Thirteen, but I have the parents with me, remember?" Riku rolled his eyes.

"Flood Hawk to Highwind, don't be a pansy, over."

Riku frowned at Vanitas on his left. "Highwind to Flood Hawk, keep the trash talk to a minimum, over."

"Flood Hawk to Highwind, I'm sure they can take it. Right, everybody?"

Sora's mom shouted from the back. "Yes! Let's go faster!"

The other parents laughed and cheered Riku on enthusiastically. Now that the initial takeoff was over and done with, they were ready to pick up the pace. Roxas, Sora, and Vanitas laughed over the radio. 

"Give 'em what they want, Riku!" Sora cheered over the radio.

Riku laughed and shook his head before flipping a couple of switches. "Alright, alright. Hang on, everybody. You asked for it!" He kicked on the thrust, much to everybody's delight and soon they were well on their way to Radiant Garden, the pretty flower-covered world coming into view very quickly. Of course, Sora, Roxas, and Vanitas couldn't resist pulling off some aerial stunts as they surrounded Highwind, much to the parents' delight.

In no time at all, Riku was landing Highwind in the courtyard and the others landed elsewhere. Once Sora caught up, Even was there to greet them all at the gate. Some of their other friends were already in the town square and waved at them with thumbs up as they walked past to greet him. Roxas, Vanitas, and Kairi stayed back to help with the party preparations and Sora and Riku's families followed after Riku and Sora as Even led them inside the castle.

Their parents were in awe of everything they were already seeing, rubbernecking at the gorgeous town and all the colorful people who resided there but their jaws dropped at the castle to be sure. Inside, Ansem the Wise greeted them warmly.

"Welcome, my esteemed guests. Please allow me to escort you to the library while we wait for Sora and Riku," he smiled.

Sora and Riku left them in his hands and followed after Even. The young men's tightly clasped hands were trembling with excitement. The lab looked the same as the last time they were here, except for a small glass basinet in the center. Ienzo was sitting in a chair nearby, keeping watch. He smiled at the two and nodded in a silent greeting before taking his leave. Even then leaned over the basinet and retrieved a small bundle wrapped in a soft, white blanket. Sora gripped at Riku's waist tightly as he tried not to cry. Even gave them a small smile as he walked towards the both of them who looked like they had forgotten how to walk.

"So...who gets to go first?" the scientist asked.

"Go ahead, Sora," Riku managed to say before slowly releasing the brunette.

Sora looked up at him hesitantly, but after a firm nod from Riku he nodded and removed his arms from his strong waist to hold his hands out as he tried desperately not to cry.

Even's smile grew wider. "Allow me to introduce you to your new son."

"A-A-A--" Sora stammered.

"A boy?" Riku's voice cracked.

The blonde nodded. "A healthy 9 pound, 20 inch long boy at that," he said proudly before handing him over to Sora who gasped immediately when he finally took in the sight of the infant's face.

Riku slid his arms around the both of them as Sora cradled the tiny baby, his eyes also tearing up as he laid his eyes on him for the first time. He could tell right away that he had Sora's nose and peeking out from under the blanket he could see little wisps of silver.

"He's perfect! R-Riku, he has your hair!" Sora sniffled.

"Have you picked out a name?" Even asked.

Sora sniffled again and both of them nodded.

"Yeah, I think we have," Riku smiled.

The two looked at each other and then back down at their new son, saying his name in unison. "Hoku."

And just like that, Hoku took his first breath, and a new heart was born right in their arms. His eyes opened, a pair of eyes as brilliantly blue as sapphires.

"Sora...he has your eyes," Riku cried happily.

"He does!" Sora broke down, shaking as he sobbed tears of joy. "I'm so happy. Hi, Hoku! We're your daddies!" He cooed before he handed baby Hoku to Riku to hold and then ran over to Even and to give the startled scientist a hug. "Thank you so much!"

Even was clearly a little uncomfortable, but he smiled and gently shoved Sora back a step with his hands on both the man's shoulders. "It has been my pleasure," he assured them before placing a hand over his heart and giving a small bowl. "And my honor."

Together, the new family walked back to the library where Hoku got to meet his grandparents for the first time. They walked slowly, Riku so busy staring down at the bundle in his arms that he could scarcely pay attention to where he was walking. Already his new son was gripping his pinky tightly and he wondered if he'd ever be able to let go of him again. But no worries, Sora was leading the way, except the brunette was also standing really close and gazing down at him. Needless to say, the walk took a lot longer than necessary and by the time they reached the library, their parents were practically beside themselves with excitement. Doesn't help that by now they were hyped up on sugar from the macarons that Ansem served them (from Ven's bakery, of course).

When Sora opened the double doors he could barely contain himself as he greeted their families. "Everybody, meet your new grandson, Hoku!" he introduced proudly.

They threw their hands up with joy and practically leapt out of their seats as they ran up to them and took turns meeting and holding the tiny bundle, cooing over his little wisps of hair and all ten of his tiny fingers and toes.

Ansem smiled at all of their excitement. "Congratulations. Hoku is a fine name."

Even stood beside him, taking in the scene as well. "I'm not familiar with it," he admitted.

Riku smiled over at the pair. "It means Star."

"It's perfect," Even praised, pleased that his creation could be gifted with such a name. "Plus the symmetry is a marvel in itself.

Sora blinked, "Pardon?"

Ienzo chuckled. "I think he means it's a nice name because it's also close to both of your names."

"Oh! Yeah, that's why we liked it too," Sora chuckled.

"You'll need to dress him!" Sora's mom brought out the baby's first outfit, a soft, white, sack dress onesie with blue mittens, teeny tiny white socks, and a blue crocheted cap complete with a new cloth diaper with a chocobo pattern.

Together Sora and Riku dressed him for the first time. Hoku watched them all with bright eyes as he made little gurgling noises and spit bubbles, much to Sora's delight. "He's soooo cute!" Already he was kicking out his little feet and grabbing for Riku's fingers as he tried slipping on his little mittens. "I can already tell you're going to be trouble," Riku snickered as he used a soft blue burp rag to wipe away the baby's spittle.

They spent a couple of hours in the library giving Hoku his first bottle, his first diaper change, and so many other firsts. Sora burped him like an expert but Hoku puked so hard it actually landed on Riku who was sitting in a chair behind where Sora was standing. "You aimed for me on purpose!" Riku accused!

"Did not!" Sora cackled.

"You're going to have to get used to that," Sora's mother warned with a giggle.

"Might have to ask the fairies for puke-proof clothes next," Riku mused with a helpless smile as he mopped himself up.

"Nuh-uh," Riku's dad chided. "You wear that puke with pride!"

Hoku blew more bubbles and Sora wiped them away happily. "Are you ready to meet the rest of the family, Hoku?" he cooed.

Riku smiled. "You might have to let go of him, you know."

Sora cradled Hoku protectively. "Who says?"

"Well aren't you going to let me hold him sometime?"

"You had your turn!" Sora whined.

Just then, there was a knock on the door before Kairi walked in with a baby buggy. "Special delivery!" Said buggy was bright yellow with bunnies on the sides and had a lovely set of lace cushions lining the inside with soft blankets and a crocheted moogle plush (made by Riku's mother).

"It's soooooo cute! Look, Hoku, you get to be pushed around in style!" Sora squee'd.

Kairi's eyes got big at the little bundle in in Sora's arms. "Did you say Hoku? Is that him!?" she squeaked, as if there were more than one baby in the castle.

"Would you like to hold him, Kairi?" Riku asked.

She nodded rapidly and held her arms out. "B-baby!" she sniffled. Sora smiled and handed him over, the redhead cradling him like he was the most precious thing in the world. "H-he's beautiful!" she sniffled. "He really does look like both of you! Hi, Hoku! I'm your aunt Kairi!" she cooed. "I'm going to spoil you so rotten. You're going to meet so many aunts and uncles, but just remember, I'm the best one, okay?"

Hoku blew more bubbles. Riku snickered. "Already so expressive." At long last, Riku was the one to finally lay Riku inside the buggy and he and Sora pushed him outside to meet the whole gang and were eagerly waiting in the courtyard. Once he was brought out it was clear to see everybody was struggling to keep their cries of joy contained so as not to scare the little one, but the coos and awws could not be contained as one by one everybody took turns meeting Hoku.

The town square had been decorated for the occasion with banners of congratulations. As soon as they announced his name, Merlin changed the banners with a flourish of his cane and they now read "Happy Birthday, Hoku!" Ven provided a giant yellow cake for the occasion and the piles of presents were ENORMOUS! King Mickey and Queen Minnie gushed over the little guy.

"Gosh! He looks so much like Riku! Welcome to the world, Hoku!" Mickey chuckled and offered a hand out and Hoku clutched at his gloved finger. "D'awww~"

Sora and Riku exchanged so many hugs and thanked everybody for coming. Their parents had a blast getting reacquainted with some they met at Sora and Riku's wedding. Ventus, Naminé, Roxas, and Xion took turns holding Hoku. Roxas was trying so hard not to cry as he cradled the little bean. "He has your eyes, Sora," Roxas murmured.

Sora smiled widely. He's heard that over a hundred times today, but he hasn't gotten sick of hearing yet. "They're your eyes too, Roxas," he chuckled. "I know you'll be a great uncle."

"Of course. The best," Roxas sniffled.

Sora's mom overheard and quirked an eyebrow. "Sora, honey, what do you mean by "your eyes too"?"

Sora froze and Riku stiffened. "Uh..." the brunette looked to Riku for help but all he could do was shrug. "Guess you might as well spill the beans." He gave a little thumbs up and took Hoku back from Xion as if to give himself an excuse to not get involved, much to Sora's dismay. Sora's dad also raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Well, mom...dad...Roxas, Xion, Naminé, Vanitas--"

"Wait, which one is Vanitas?" his mom interrupted. She knows Vanitas helped escort them and she's heard his name in passing, but she's never been properly introduced.

Roxas pointed at Vanitas and waved him over, the man having no idea what he was walking into only to freeze when he saw Sora's mom, who he's avoided talking to this whole time, even at the wedding.

"Mom, this is Vanitas."

Sora's mom flew her hands over her mouth as she finally took in the sight of Vanitas, who she's only ever seen from afar. Now up close she could see the resemblance to Sora. "You...I knew it! You look so much like Sora!" She had her suspicions that they might've met before when she heard Vanitas over the radio on the way over, but as of when, she can't recall.

"Well, there's a reason for that," Sora tried to explain. He then went into detail about how it all started with Ventus and then his sacrifice for Kairi, how Roxas and Naminé were born, and why Vanitas looks like him, and where Xion came from. Sora's parents were quiet the whole time while Riku gently bounced Hoku and the others searched their faces for a reaction. When Sora was finally finished, nothing was said for a moment, until finally Sora's mother said, "So what you're telling me is that with you, Riku, and 1, 2, 3, 4...I have six babies now instead of one!?"

Sora laughed, "Mom, that's not what that--"

"Yes," Vanitas interrupted Sora. "That's exactly what that means."

Sora's mom opened her arms wide. "BABIES!"

"MOMMY!" Roxas, Naminé, Xion, and even Vanitas shouted before mobbing her with hugs.

Riku laughed at the hug pile while he cradled Hoku. "You've just joined one crazy family, little guy."

After a few rounds of peek-a-boo with Goofy and Donald, Hoku was fast asleep in his buggy and cake was being served.

"Can't wait to do this all again when it's Aqua's turn," Sora grinned at the master enjoying her cake.

She smiled warmly, "To think they'll be so close together. I hope they become good friends."

Riku smiled too. "I'm sure they will. Have you thought of names yet? We had quite a time picking one."

"Terra and I really like the name Era."

Sora smiled softly. "Sounds like a perfect choice."

Suddenly there was a loud BOOM and a green flash followed by a giant plume of purple smoke. Sora nearly choked on his cake, having a good guess as to who it was before the smoke even cleared. "She actually came!?"

Half the guests fled from the surrounding area. Those with keyblades summoned them and stood guard, but Maleficent merely glided towards the buggy with a smirk on her face. "My apologies for running late," she grinned slyly. "All of this light doesn't agree with me."

"What are you doing here?" Leon asked, gunblade at his side.

"I was invited," Maleficent's grin grew even wider.

"Glad you could make it," Sora strained to be polite.

"I won't be long," she promised as she gave Riku a look. She then noticed the banner before peering into the buggy. "Hoku, is it?"

Said infant woke just now woke up and rubbed at his eyes with mittened fists before peering up at Maleficent with his bright blue orbs. She reached a long finger inside to gently play with one of his soft silver curls. Riku wanted to protest, to snatch him away before she could do anything further, but he held his tongue when he saw the sincere, soft expression on her face, an expression he's certainly never seen her wear before. Hoku suddenly giggled and both Sora and Riku's jaws dropped.

Maleficent gave a small chuckle. "He's smart. And very bright. I dare say even more radiant than either of you." She then gave Riku a forlorn look. "A shame he doesn't have your eyes."

Riku frowned. "He's perfect the way he is."

She smirked down at the infant who giggled again. "You amuse me. I shall grant you a gift, dear child."

"Wait, that won't be necessary," Sora spoke up.

"Oh, but I insist~" She raised her staff and pointed it at Hoku. "First child born of two keyblade wielders, fair and radiant, the gift I give you...the gift of protection." Before Sora and Riku could ask, the little white outfit Hoku was wearing turned into a dragon onesie that looked very much like Maleficent's dragon form. It even had scales! Its little hood formed the head and Hoku's face poked out of the mouth. It had feet and hands with little green claws made of cloth and an adorable stubby tail. "As long as you wear this, you will have my protection," she promised before retrieving a small black object from inside her robes attached to a thin silver chain. She tossed it to Riku who caught it and held it up cautiously. "Give that to him when he's old enough," she instructed. "The gift I gave him will grow with him. Do NOT throw it away." She looked at Sora when she said this. "Wash in cold water only," she grinned again.

"When you say protection...?" the brunette asked suspiciously.

"From the darkness...and other things. One day it will even resemble that armor you all wear. But his will be beyond compare, I assure you."

Hoku giggled again and flailed his little limbs.

"You're very welcome, little one. I know we shall meet again very soon." With a smirk and one last puff of green and purple smoke, she was gone.

Sora quickly picked up Hoku to check on him and Fairy Godmother rushed to Riku's side to investigate the object she gave him. "What is it?" Riku asked.

"Oh my, it appears to be a dragon scale. One of hers, I dare say!"

"Why!?" Sora asked as he held Hoku protectively to himself, but it seems the infant was perfectly fine.

"Well, I might be mistaken, but it seems she's infused it with summoning magic."

"She offered HERSELF as a summon?" Sora gasped.

"Hopefully he'll never need such a thing," Riku sighed but he pocketed it anyway when Fairy Godmother handed it back to him. Maleficent didn't appear to have any ill will, but something wasn't adding up.

"Well, she certainly gave him some cute pajamas," Sora cooed. "You're adorable, Hoku!"

The baby giggled happily and Riku huffed. "I can't believe she got his first laugh, though."

Sora's jaw dropped. "OH NO! You're right!"

"So evil," Riku shook his head.

Hoku blew bubbles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wittle Author's note, "Hoku" is Hawaiian for "star". Hehehe. Thanks to Mimzy_Whimzy for helping me pick the name. <3


End file.
